Hellbent
by Merely Murderous
Summary: Arlong has come to the East Blue, hellbent on creating his empire and ruling over humankind. Conquering Conomi was easy enough, but the archipelago was hiding a hermit. He won't let some scrawny scientist off easy, especially if they'll create some weaponry for his budding empire. Rating will change. Cross-posted on Ao3. Arlong/OC.
1. Petulant and Disrespectful

It only took a few days for the Arlong Pirates to notice the small, almost deserted island to the southwest of Cocoyashi. It took them several more weeks for them to notice that it wasn't _completely_ deserted.

Despite the fact that his pockets were filled to the brim with berries, Arlong decided he wasn't going to let some side-island humans get away without paying his tax.

Arlong, Hachi, and Chew made way to the island on a bright, sunny day. Despite being in the northwest Conomi was close enough to the Grand Line to be considered a warm Summer-Spring climate, but winter had just left, leaving the mornings frosty and the afternoons warm. The air was heating up quickly despite it being only March, and it promised long hot days when summer fully arrived.

The island itself was covered in flora, ranging from teeny flowers to towering fruit trees. The beach had shimmering sand and was lined with coconut trees, while the thin forest held other fruit-bearing trees. There was only a single dock on the island, and it faced towards Cocoyashi. A single boat was tied to the dock, small and rickety. If it were not for that dock, perhaps the Arlong Pirates would have overlooked the tiny island completely. After all, it was only four miles long, and three wide. The highest point was a small hill, covered in tangerine trees. Supposedly, there was a freshwater spring amongst those trees, so there was no need to leave the island for fresh water.

According to the villagers, the island used to home a small family, but they hadn't been seen in years. Now, it was home to a strange hermit of a woman who only visited Cocoyashi to pick up things she couldn't make herself. While Arlong doubted this woman would be a cash cow, he had to get SOME beli off of her if she insisted on living in his vicinity.

Arlong walked along the dirt path through the trees with a sneer on his face, while Chew and Hachi followed wordlessly. The island was noisy with a variety of birds, but otherwise seemed deserted. After ten minutes, however, they reached a clearing.

Arlong wouldn't really call it a town. There were only four buildings, although it looked as if there had been more at some point. The ground was disturbed where they had been, and the foundations were left a mess. It was obvious where those materials had gone, however. They had been merged into a center building, which looked like a house from the front, but the backside had clearly been expanded.

The house had a cozy white fenced porch, blue paint and darker blue siding. It was two stories tall, and the second floor had a balcony leading out over the roof of the porch. A swing was fixed to the porch ceiling, and it blew gently in the spring breeze.

Arlong sneered at the picturesque house in disgust.

The second and third buildings were both greenhouses, and they held a wide variety of plants. Whoever lived on the island clearly spent a long time gardening. A basket filled with freshly picked vegetables sat on the ground near the first greenhouse's door.

"Nyuu, there's definitely a person living here, Arlong-san. Someone picked these today." Hachi noted, pointing at the basket.

The fourth building was connected to some wind turbines, and also had shoddy solar paneling on the roof. There was electricity on this island, Arlong realized. The fourth building must have been a generator host.

"If this doesn't pan out, we can make a second base here." Arlong said, grinning. This island would be the perfect hole to toss Nami into. She could sustain herself and make maps for him and he wouldn't even have to be bothered in the slightest by her stupid human self.

"It's pretty nicely furnished." Hachi agreed. "We should check the house first, since that's where the humans would most likely be."

Arlong nodded, and walked up to the house's door. "After all, it would make me a bad landlord to not check up on his tenants." Arlong rapped on the door a few times, and waited a few beats. There was no answer yet. So Arlong did the only reasonable thing - he broke down the door.

"Hello, is anyone home?" Arlong asked, grinning toothily as he stepped into the house.

It was silent for a few seconds.

"Actually, yes. I was about to get the door." A feminine voice said, low and husky. Arlong turned towards the sound of the voice, and was met with a human woman drying her hair with a towel. She had just stepped out of the bath, apparently, as her clothes were sloppily tossed on and her skin dripped with every step she took. She looked like even less of a threat than that marine woman he'd taken care of a few weeks ago, but her expression was absolutely petulant and disrespectful. She clearly didn't know her place.

The only human on the island was only a smidgen over five and a half feet tall, had cotton-candy pink curls that weren't intimidating in the slightest, scowling steel blue eyes, and ochre brown skin that seemed to glimmer like molten copper due to the water running down it. Arlong scowled at her thin neck and imagined how easy it would be to break it, or perhaps her willowy arms would fracture at his weakest touch. She was thick around the waist and thighs, but it wasn't muscular. The corner's of Arlong's mouth pulled into a toothy smile as he acknowledged that she was just as weak-bodied as the rest of the filthy humans he had taken over earlier in the month.

"Hello. My name is Arlong. I've recently begun, shall we say, protecting Cocoyashi village." Arlong greeted, voice dripping with malice. If the woman was intimidated, she didn't show it at all. Instead, she merely rose an eyebrow inquisitively. "To receive this protection, you need to pay 100,000 berries for every adult in your family, and 50,000 berries for every child. Simple, right?"

"Sounds more like extortion to me." The woman sneered. Arlong's hand twitched in surprise, but he kept his malicious smile even.

"Think of it as you will. It's mandatory, after all." Arlong chuckled.

The woman appeared to be thinking about it. She walked over and set the towel on a table, and flung her pink hair over her back. Arlong couldn't help noting its unusual color for a human, especially as she turned to face him, expression serious.

"No. I think not." The woman said, tone neutral.

"Excuse me?" Arlong couldn't help but snarl. "It's mandatory for everyone in Cocoyashi Village."

"I don't live in Cocoyashi Village." The woman retorted, and put her hand on her hip.

"I say you do." Arlong growled. His patience was wearing extremely thin, and Hachi and Chew glanced at each other nervously. There hadn't been an insubordination so far, save for the incident with Nami, so they weren't sure what Arlong would do to this woman before he killed her.

"And I say I don't." She walked up to Arlong, and stared up into his eyes, completely ignoring his bloodlust. "So fix my door and leave, please."

"You dare to tell me what to do, you lowly human? I'll kill you!" Arlong snarled, and grabbed at her. He wrapped his hand around her feeble neck, and began to squeeze. She would pay for such disrespect with her lif-.

His hand went through her neck. She was still standing in front of him, perfectly unharmed, but his hand went through her neck. There was a faint buzzing sound, like static.

"You can't hurt me, Arlong. So get out. After you fix my door." She wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Arlong growled, and tried to hit her again. She sighed, in such a way that her annoyance sounded like she was trying to deal with a particularly slow child. "Didn't you hear me? You can't hit me if you tried."

Arlong glowered at the woman, and clenched his fists. "You have a devil fruit power. A logia."

The woman merely nodded.

"I'll kill you." Arlong promised. He meant it. He was going to end her.

"No, you won't." She said with such smug confidence that Arlong had to resist trying to hit her again. She was utterly infuriating. "I don't care what you do to Cocoyashi, Arlong. I'm the only person on this island. And I'm not stupid enough to leave with you in Cocoyashi. You can't kill me. You can't kill anyone I care about. So forget your money, fix my door, and get the hell off my island."

Arlong glared at her, trying his hardest to keep his composure, and then turned around and left. "Hachi, Chew, we're going home."

"Aren't we going to fix her door?" Hachi asked, glancing at the house in concern.

Arlong snorted. "Of course not!" He stomped towards the beach, not noticing that the woman was following them. Hachi only noticed a second before she slammed Arlong in the back of the head with her fist.

"You're fixing my door, you punk!" She snarled, and jumped back as Arlong turned around and swung at her.

"You stupid little human!" Arlong growled. "I wouldn't fix your damn door even if you did pay my fee!" He charged at her, almost reached her before a loud, shrieking sound made him drop to his knees and cover his ears. "Augh!"

" _Fix my door_ ," Bellowed from all directions, and the wind suddenly picked up, causing the grass to whip at their feet angrily. Arlong groaned as the terrible noise whistled through the trees and all around him, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. Nausea threatened to overcome him, and Arlong tried to resist gagging as everything felt like it was moving unnaturally. The other fishmen also dropped to their knees, unable to ignore the whistling shrieks that surrounded them.

The woman stood still, mere inches from Arlong, and glowered down at him. Her hair whipped around in the wind aggressively, but she didn't stop the shrill sounds. Not even as Arlong dared to open an eye and glare at her hatefully.

Several beats passed, and the noise increased in frequency, causing the fishmen to all groan in pain. The very air began to reverberate violently, and they began to find it hard to breath.

"Hachi! Fix her damn door!" Arlong ordered, and suddenly the noise stopped. Arlong hesitantly looked up and uncovered his ears to see the woman smirking smugly at him, her arms crossed haughtily. His blood burned, and he desperately wished to kill her.

"Good. Would you like some tea while we wait?" The woman chirped with a disgustingly smug smile.

"No."

* * *

If you're on Ao3, you've already seen this floating around! If not, here's my completely self-indulgent Arlong/OC fanfic I've been working on in secret for far too long. I'm planning on updating it about once a week until I run out of buffer or until I get to a part I haven't written yet. I don't write things consecutively, so that might be a shorter timeframe than it sounds. Who knows! I sure don't. Have fun!


	2. Sluething

Arlong was furious for the next few days. Everyone could tell. But no one dared to ask why, especially when Chew and Hachi would both appear to have such discomfort with the subject.

The construction of Arlong Park had been going smoothly, and was finished enough that Arlong could easily say that it was nearly done. The dismantling of their galleon had gone swimmingly, and they had transformed it into the first few floors of Arlong Park. The building's eight stories loomed over the small patch of sea they had claimed for their base, and the gates were menacing in the spring sunlight. Had it not been basically a mafia den, it would be beautiful.

Arlong sat in his stolen lawn chair that overlooked Arlong Park, fist digging into his cheek. He was going to need to find some sort of blackmail material on that woman. She denied having any, but that was a given. However, it was difficult to ask about a person when you didn't even know their name. At the very least, he could send men to destroy her property. The hermit had been very upset by that. But Arlong didn't want to risk her using her sound power again...

Idly, Arlong wondered if Nami knew anything about her. The thought stuck in his mind, passing through it aggressively, before he decided she must know something about the hermit. Thankfully, he knew just where to find her.

On the seventh floor was his cartographer's room, freshly built and still smelling of wood. It overlooked Arlong Park by a small window, and was otherwise dimly lit, even in the daylight. It was sparsely furnished with office supplies, several looming bookcases and filing cabinets, and a huge oversized drafting desk. A small orange rug Nami herself had picked out marked it as her room.

Arlong didn't even knock before he entered her room. He couldn't help but grin at the startled and afraid expression on the child's face. Just what he liked to see. She fearfully stared at Arlong from her large, over-sized desk.

"Hello, Nami-chan. I have some questions for you about the village." Nami frowned, worry passing through her wide eyes. "Do you know anything about the hermit woman living on the small island off Conomi?"

Nami bit her lip anxiously, and Arlong could tell she was racking her tiny human brain. "O-only a few things." Nami eventually said. Arlong nodded, and waited patiently for her to continue.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Um." Nami hesitated. "She's only lived there for two or three years? She doesn't leave."

Arlong nodded, noting that this correlated with the villager's information. "Continue."

"She doesn't get along with the villagers well, I think? Because she doesn't talk to anyone besides the shopkeepers. I tried waving to her before and saying hi, but she just walked away." Nami frowned at the memory. "And that was even before you came!"

Arlong snorted. He knew the villagers hated Nami now, and he was fine with it. Glad, even. There would be no rescue attempts for a village traitor after all. "Do you know her name?"

Nami gripped her pen, and thought hard. "N-no. Not even Bellemere-san or Nojiko knew her name, I don't think. One of the shopkeepers might?"

Arlong frowned. This had been useless. "Is there anything else you know about her?"

"She really hates pants? Even in winter she just wears shorts and tights. And Gen-san said she broke her boat to build stuff, like you guys did to build this. I think she's stuck here."

"Thank you, Nami-chan. That's all." Arlong grimaced. He'd have to send Hachi to the village to find out more information about her. He turned to leave, more irritated about this whole situation than before.

"Arlong, are you going to hurt Hermit-chan?" Nami quietly asked, and Arlong glanced back at her to see a face full of worry and fear. Arlong cocked his head in thought.

"It depends on if she continues to misbehave or not, Nami-chan." Nami bit her lip, but nodded. Arlong closed the door and growled, remembering how much that woman had embarrassed him just a few short days ago. She didn't appear to be strong, but she was smart and unafraid to use her powers. But she was a devil fruit user. She had weaknesses - obvious ones. And if she wouldn't accept his terms, she'd die. He'd drown her himself if he had to.

* * *

Hachi went into town later that day, set on asking people about the hermit woman. However, the second he showed his face, everyone vacated the streets. Hachi sighed. If they didn't hate fishmen before Arlong came to town, they certainly did now. Thankfully, vendors couldn't leave their buildings if they wanted to keep their wares.

Hachi entered the first shop he saw, smiling at the sound of the hanging bell chiming. The shopkeep seemed nervous by his presence, but offered a shaky smile despite the fact.

"Nyuu. I'm wondering if you know anything about the hermit woman living on the nearby island?" Hachi asked, giving his biggest smile to the human behind the counter.

"Uh. Th-the pink-haired hermit woman?"

"Yes, that one!" Hachi nodded eagerly. This looked like it would pan out well.

"Sh-she doesn't visit except every three months or so. Umm..." The shopkeep fiddled with a piece of paper anxiously. "The ph-pharmacy and the tailor are the only place she really, uh, visits."

"Cocoa Pharm and Ideal Image?" Hachi asked, his face lighting up.

"Y-yeah! Those're the ones!"

"Great, thanks!" Hachi dropped some coins on the table in gratitude, and the shopkeep's eyes lit up in joy.

Just as Hachi was almost out of the door, he remembered something else important. "I forgot to ask, but do you know her name, nyuu?"

"N-no, sorry."

Hachi sighed, but didn't give up hope. Thinking about it, Hachi decided that the place that would probably know the most about this hermit woman was the pharmacy. At the very least, they could figure out what she was picking up every three months.

Cocoa Pharm wasn't far away from his initial investigation shop, so Hachi reached it quickly. It was such a nice day, however, that he wished it had taken longer.

The pharmacy was rather small, compared to the ones on Fishman Island, and only had one cashier who both handed out prescriptions and waited on customers. The aisles were small and cramped together, and Hachi couldn't help but feel a bit claustrophobic when he walked into the store. But they had everything an island of this size would need, including a next door doctor's clinic.

Hachi strolled up to the cashier, who was unfortunately just as nervous and scared as the first. "Nyuu, I heard that the hermit who lives off the coast comes here to shop every few months. Do you know anything about her?"

"Uhm, I'm not allowed to give out information on people's healthcare." The woman tried to say. Hachi gave her an incredulous look, which caused her to whimper. "I-i'm sorry."

"Could you give me a name, please?"

She shook her head furiously. "N-no! Not even a name!"

Hachi sighed. He'd really rather not have to get rough, but...Suddenly, the doorbell chimed, and in walked the old human military man, Genzo. He had a scowl on his face the second he noticed Hachi.

"Aiya-san, how is work going?" Genzo asked, trying to covertly discern the situation. Aiya bit her lip.

"It's going alright, Genzo-san."

"That's good to hear. Hachi, was it?" Hachi clenched his many fists and nodded. Hopefully this man wouldn't start any trouble, but he was definitely a wild card compared to most of the other fearful humans. "I didn't know you had prescriptions here."

"I don't. I'm looking for information about the hermit woman." Hachi knew it would be better to be up-front about his search than not. Genzo's shock was followed by knitted brows and a heavy sigh.

"Her...? What information could you need about her?" Genzo frowned in confusion.

"Hachi-sama was wanting her name, Gen-san. But I'm not allowed to give out information about customers!" The cashier informed, speaking quickly in her panic. She glanced between the two cautiously, and held her clenched palm close to her heart.

"Ah." Genzo nodded, and appeared thoughtful for quite a few moments before he sighed. "Very well. I think it would be in our best interest just to give Hachi-sama what he needs."

The cashier looked surprised, but didn't protest. "Okay..."

Hachi grinned. This was turning out well for him! "Anything you have on her would be great."

Genzo nodded at the cashier, and she went off to retrieve the hermit's file. Once she was gone, Genzo turned to Hachi. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to have any malicious intent in his eyes, only exhaustion. "Why is Arlong interested in her?"

Hachi shifted nervously. "We went to go collect from her, but she has Devil Fruit powers."

That surprised Genzo. "Devil Fruit powers? I had no idea. Then again, no one on the island really interacts with her besides the shopkeepers."

"That's what we keep hearing. Do you know her name, nyuu?" Genzo shook his head, and sighed.

"I wish I knew anything about her, but whenever anyone tries to talk to her, she just ignores them. Even Nami-chan..."

Hachi nodded in acknowledgement, and crossed his arms. Genzo and Hachi waited in silence for quite a long time until the cashier returned.

"S-sorry it took so long. Here." Aiya handed over a small manilla folder and a bag filled with a prescription of some sort, bowed, and then vanished. It looked as if she had been crying. Hachi felt bad, but there was really nothing he could do about it. He needed this for Arlong. Hachi sighed, thanked Genzo, and left. While he was grateful everything went relatively smooth, he wished he didn't have to make other people abandon their sense of morality to help him. Even Genzo had to...Hachi had caught their look of mutual despair as he left, and he couldn't help but wish there was something he could have done to help them. That's all he ever wanted.


	3. Rash Reactions

**Chapter 3:** Rash Reactions

* * *

Arlong grinned as he went through the folder Hachi had procured. It wasn't as informative as he had hoped, but now he knew quite a bit about this hermit woman. Or, should he say Aria Reed?

Arlong hoped he could use this prescription against her. There wasn't anything in her file explaining why it was necessary or what it was for, but there was a doctor's recommendation from someone who didn't live on Conomi. Clearly, it was a pre-existing condition and hopefully it was necessary for her to live. And if it wasn't? He'd dug through all of his jewelry until he'd found a particular ring he'd bought in case he ever had to deal with Borsalino again.

Arlong had ventured out to the hermit's island alone this time. While he didn't intend to go through the embarrassment of last time, he also didn't think she'd play as nicely if he brought too many fishmen with him.

The island was quieter this time, as it appeared most of the birds had flown over to Conomi. It was peaceful, and with the warm sun and the soft breeze, it could've been a paradise. Arlong scoffed at the idea. Humans didn't deserve paradise, especially not a hermit woman like her.

Arlong stepped into the clearing where her house was, and was unpleasantly surprised to see her already waiting for him. She smirked as he approached, and put her book down. She had been reclining on a stupid beach chair, and was wearing an orange swimsuit. Arlong scoffed. Why even bother wearing one if you couldn't even swim?

"Human. Are you going to pay your protection fee?" Arlong had no interest in beating around the bush. She shook her head, an amused look on her face, and stood up.

"Of course not. I made that clear the first time." She pushed some pink curls out of her face and behind her ear, and crossed her arms. There was no contempt in her stance or gaze, but Arlong couldn't help but feel she was looking down on him. He scowled.

"Oh? Are you sure about that? It was hard to tell with all of your infernal screeching." Arlong sneered. He seemed to have struck a nerve, because she pursed her lips. "I must urge you to reconsider. After all, we wouldn't want anything to happen to your medication."

Aria cocked her head in confusion. "Medication? What are you talking about?"

Arlong grinned triumphantly, and held out the bag Hachi received from the pharmacy. " _This_ medication, of course."

It was Arlong's turn to be confused when she covered her mouth and giggled. Although he didn't miss the quick passing relief in her expression. "You...do you even know what that _is_?"

Arlong sneered at her, his blood beginning to boil. She didn't consider him a serious threat at all, did she? "Why should I care what medicine you need to survive is? As long as I control it, you're as good as dead."

She laughed again, although this time so hard that her whole body vibrated. Arlong clenched his hands tightly. It felt like he was being made the fool, yet again. "Why don't you tell me, then? If it's so _hilarious_ to you."

Aria looked him in the eye, with tears of laughter slipping into hers. "I...don't think you want to know."

"Then quit your damn laughing, human." Arlong ordered, and she nodded. She appeared to pull herself together for a few moments, before glancing at the bag still tightly clenched in his palm, and began giggling again. "Shut up!" Arlong snarled, and threw the bag at her. It hit her square in the shoulder, and she winced.

Aria shook off any remaining amusement she may have had, and picked up the bag. "Thanks for picking this up for me. But unfortunately, it's not anything necessary. It's just birth control." Aria informed him coolly. She rubbed her shoulder to ease the pain, and Arlong knew it would bruise her fragile human skin.

Arlong felt his face flush, but not out of embarrassment. The human didn't treat him as a threat at all! Which was absolutely ridiculous! And instead she merely mocked him and laughed at him.

"I'll still find some way to make you pay, girl." He threatened, and closed the distance between them until he was glowering down at her. "No matter how invulnerable you think you are to blackmail or me and my kind, I'll still find a way to humiliate you and make you beg for your life."

She looked uncomfortable, Arlong noted with glee. He may not have won just yet, but intimidation would certainly push this in his favor. She didn't meet his eyes, and she was obviously racking her pathetic human brain for some comeback.

She clenched her hit shoulder, and scowled up at him. "Arlong...What would that even give you? Satisfaction?"

Arlong sneered. Humans were always so defiant. It was the same shit, every time. "That doesn't matter. Just give me what I want and I'll give you what you want."

Aria sighed, and looked defeated. Arlong felt a sense of victory. Perhaps she would submit, after all? Suddenly, she was smiling up at him, and his heart began to race in worry. Was she going to attack?

"Goodbye. Don't come back." And then she shattered in front of him with a screeching noise, and was gone. She had simply...disappeared.

Arlong held his breath, and glanced around quickly. Was she going to attack? From where? He shouldn't have let down his guard. But after several moments, nothing happened, and he didn't seem to be in danger. He exhaled, and slid his hand down his face. This woman...was such a pain.

Arlong looked up at the house before him. She obviously hadn't escaped into it, because the doors and windows hadn't made any sort of movement. But he could wait until she was done licking her wounds and returned. Arlong nodded to himself, satisfied. If he kept pushing her, eventually she would break. Had she not been a Devil Fruit eater, she surely would have submitted today.

Arlong entered the house with little care of intrusion. It was reasonably sized in the front, but the construction out back looked much larger than both floors of the house combined. The entryway was clean, except for a little bit of tracked in dirt, and Arlong couldn't help but remove his shoes out of childhood habit.

There was a staircase leading upstairs to the immediate entrance, while a dining room and a sitting room sat on either sides of it. Arlong remembered that Aria had come downstairs when he had first broken in, so the main bath must have been upstairs.

Arlong wandered around, and found himself in the kitchen. It was reasonably sized, and Arlong noted the fresh vegetables in a basket on the island. It looked like the same basket from the greenhouse a few days ago. The appliances were a rather dated speckled grey, but everything else was a comforting shade of blue.

The kitchen was in the back of the house, and it would have looked quite nice if Aria hadn't decided to build onto the house and not even bother to remove the windows. What would have been a nice kitchen view was now a view of...some weird and clinical hall, with countless bookcases and several safes. She had put down some white tile in there, but that was obviously not her forte as some of the tiles were coming up off the stone floor she'd laid down.

The screen door leading into the terrible addition was locked, surprisingly. It seemed odd to Arlong. Who leaves their front door unlocked, but locks their weird library room? Arlong shrugged it off as poor human life choices, and continued to explore the house.

There was a small bathroom and a bedroom in the rest of the downstairs, but both of them looked completely unused. The bedroom had obviously belonged to the people who lived here before Aria, as it was clearly a child's room. A few toys still laid littered about, and there was a pink toy oven that had a stuffed animal crammed inside of it. The bed was surprisingly neatly made, although it looked like it had been made so long ago that it probably ought to be aired before anyone laid in it. The carpet was a soft shade of blue, and there were a few childish throw rugs tossed about in disarray. The walls were papered with clouds and rainbows. It was kind of nauseating.

Arlong decided to venture upstairs, and was surprised on how much more lived-in the area looked. Immediately there was a bathroom, large and spacious, with a filled clothes hamper and several towels thrown about. The shower door was left open, with a towel tossed over it. The tub next to it was surrounded by various bath products, including bath salts and bubbles. It smelled clean and fresh, and Arlong noted that despite being in the back of the house, sunlight still shone through the large bay window. He glanced out it, and saw that the house's addition was only to the first floor.

There were bedrooms to both the right and left, and they seemed to be equal in size, but one was filled with books and papers and strewn about pencils. There was a bed, but it looked more like a haphazard office than anything. There was a desk that reminded Arlong of Nami's, but there were photos next to it.

Curious, Arlong looked at them. A family of four, two mothers and two daughters. Aria seemed to be the youngest, and she was grinning happily. The older sister didn't share Aria's pink hair, but instead had a deep red. The one mother had similar colored hair, while the other had a deep brown color, but they all shared Aria's cold steel eyes. It was unnerving.

Arlong turned away from the photo, and glanced to the papers strewn about. They seemed to be a mixture of mathematical formulas and compositional notes. It was an odd mix, to say the least. Several of the notebooks strewn about seemed to date back quite a few years, even before Aria had supposedly arrived at Conomi.

Arlong quickly got bored of snooping through notes he didn't understand, however, and slipped into the bedroom across the hall. It was clearly where Aria slept, as her clothes were tossed about all along the floor. Arlong wrinkled his nose. She was lazy and slobbish, which is the absolute worst trait to have when you're on your own.

There was a desk in here, too, as well as a bookcase. But they were kept much more orderly. Several candles were on the desk, in various scents. Pencils and pens were neatly kept in a box, and notebooks were kept in a stack. Surprisingly, there weren't any more family photos on the desk. Arlong even went through a few drawers, and found nothing of familial note. He did find a sewing kit, some buttons, and various screwdrivers and hammers, but nothing that he could use to blackmail Aria with.

Despite the mess, it smelled clean in here, too. The walls were surprisingly blank, which seemed odd for a woman's sleeping quarters. Arlong figured there would at least be some sort of shitty art for him to make fun of. There were two large windows, as well as the glass door to the balcony in this room, and they created a lot of natural light. Despite that, a large lamp hung from the ceiling.

A large bed was crammed into the corner, with a dresser providing another barrier opposite of the wall. It seemed strange at first, but it appeared to be keeping all of her huge pillows and cutesy stuffed animals from falling off the bed. A large shark grinned at him from the bed, and Arlong was ever so tempted to rip it into pieces merely for existing.

Arlong sighed. It really did seem there was nothing to blackmail her with. He contemplated going through her dresser, wondering if there would be anything worth it in there, until he spied a stack of envelopes on the top of the bookcase.

"Huh. That's a weird thing for a hermit to have." Arlong muttered, and pulled them down. He grinned as he noted they were all addressed to Aria. "Well, well, well."

He was just about to go through the first letter, when he felt a chill go up his spine. Arlong blinked, and turned around. There was no one there, and yet...it felt like he was being watched. Arlong sneered at nothing in particular, and pocketed a few of the letters. The rest were placed back where he found them, like nothing had ever happened.

The feeling did not go away, however, and Arlong wondered why. The sound of a door opening and closing answered his question, however. Arlong tensed, anxious to be found, but resisted the urge to run by sitting on the bed. Aria would find him in time. There was no need to rush. Arlong grinned at the thought of her fretting once she saw him in her room.

Arlong was only waiting for a few minutes more, because he could hear her stomping through the house like she already knew he was there. Oh, right, he'd left his shoes at the door. She ran upstairs moments later, and nearly tripped over his feet as she ran into her room.

"You...!" Aria snarled. Arlong thought it was a nice change of pace to see her snarling instead of him. She looked absolutely livid. Her fists were clenched, her shoulders narrowed, and her face was all scrunched up. She could've been cute, if only she weren't a human.

"Yes, it's me." Arlong smirked. His calm, smug answer seemed to have pissed her off even more, because suddenly she was up in his face.

"I told you to get out!" She hissed, practically spitting in his face.

"Why would I listen to you, when you won't listen to me?" Arlong replied, noting that she had a light dusting of freckles over her nose and that her breath smelled like garlic. Arlong wrinkled his nose. He didn't like garlic much.

Aria seemed to have no verbal reply for that, and instead she grabbed at Arlong's wrist and tried to pull him out. Arlong was surprised by her audacity, but did not budge. Aria growled, which caused Arlong to snicker.

"Like a weak human like you could ever pull me anywhere." Aria fumed wordlessly. Arlong grabbed Aria's other wrist roughly, causing her to wince. "Ah, now isn't this nice? I've caught myself a little human."

Arlong could smell the fear on her instantly. He grinned, and pulled her into his arms. She struggled against him, but he'd come prepared this time with a sea-stone embedded ring, causing her to be unable to use her powers to escape. Had she kept her distance,she probably would have stayed safe, but her human arrogance had betrayed her. "Shit..." She muttered, and Arlong laughed at her instant defeated attitude.

"I told you, girl! It hasn't even been a day, and you've already gotten yourself caught." He stood up, effortlessly dragging her with him. "Now, are you going to be good?" Arlong looked her in the eyes, feeling glee at her frustration and anger.

She hesitated for a few moments, thinking it over. "I...I don't have enough for even a month." She said, eventually. Arlong sneered.

"Well, isn't that a shame? I'll just have to kill you, then." He ran his hand up her arm til it reached her neck, and he started to squeeze. She winced and bit her lip in anxiousness, but was either thinking up some lie to save herself or just wanted to get it over with. She wasn't attempting to pry his hand off her neck at all, but he wasn't squeezing tight enough for her to be desperate for air just yet. No, he wanted to see her suffer for all the shit she had put him through so far.

"C-can't you use me, though?" She asked, looking desperately at Arlong. He scoffed. Humans always thought they were more useful alive, didn't they?

"What could a pathetic human like you possibly be used for? You can't fight me! You were stupid enough to get yourself trapped like this! You can't build worth a damn!" He laughed harshly, and grinned as she winced under his slowly tightening grip.

"Research!" She shouted, right into Arlong's face. "I'm researching sound weaponry!"

Arlong rolled his eyes. "You can't even build a nice shack."

"N-no. But I have all the, all the drafts!" Aria protested. Arlong squeezed harder on her neck, contemplating if she was telling the truth or not. Even if she was, she was so disobedient that she would be a terrible subordinate.

"And why should I believe you would ever submit yourself to me? You haven't so far." She finally gripped at his arm, but she didn't cause any pain. Hah. Like she even could.

"I-I don't give a shit about...about anyone from Cocoyashi!" She coughed, and gasped for air. "I just want to do my re-research...alone..."

"That's not an answer." Arlong tutted, noting with glee that her lips were losing color.

"As long as...I can do it...I'll do it for you." Aria said. "I'll do any application...I'll even fuck...fucking fight for you..."

"You're weaker than a fishman child." Arlong laughed, but she was slowly winning him over. The thought of a Devil Fruit user working for him was too good to pass up.

"Y-yeah, probably..." Aria laughed roughly. "B-but I can disable...people..."

Arlong hummed thoughtfully. He watched her suffer for a few more seconds, and then shoved her unceremoniously to the floor. She grunted as she hit the floor, but soon gasped for air greedily and reflexively checked her throat with her hands. She coughed and shook as she took in air, and Arlong watched her recover with impatience.

When she finally seemed like she could coherently listen, Arlong picked her up and tossed her on the bed. Aria looked up at him fearfully, and clenched at the comforter beneath her.

"I'm only going to keep you around for as long as I deem you useful, girl." Arlong started, making sure to coat his words with as much malice as possible. Aria nodded shakily. "I'll be back tomorrow to check over your...research. You _will_ explain it to me, and you _will_ have some useful applications for it by the end of the month. If what you just told me was complete bullshit, I will drown you. I will drag you down to the deepest part of the sea around this island, and watch you die."

Aria bit her lip and nodded aggressively. "Hachi will be keeping an eye on you. Daily. And I _will_ be coming by to see how much progress you've made. You will come with us to take over other islands, since you don't 'give a shit about Cocoyashi.' And if you've lied about that, too, you will die. Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-yeah. Crystal." Aria whispered, voice wobbling. Arlong grinned, and patted her on the head.

"Good! Now be a good human and go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow, after all." Arlong laughed cruelly, and got right up into her face. "You've got a new boss and a lot of coworkers to interact with now. I wouldn't want our little hermit getting killed because she's too tired and socially inept to interact with people properly."

Aria whimpered quietly, which set Arlong off laughing again. He sneered at her one last time, and left.

Aria wrapped all of her blankets and stuffed animals around her, but it still wasn't enough to comfort her sudden feeling of despair. The chill of death had slipped into her once more, for the first time in a long while, and she was still not eager to meet her end. Even worse was the thought that one day, she might end up with a bounty because of that awful man. She absolutely could _not_ let that happen.


	4. You Told Me You Could Build

Chapter 4: You Told Me You Could Build

* * *

The next day, Arlong came to the island with Hachi in tow. Hachi wasn't pleased with the idea of being a glorified babysitter, but at the same time he was eager to get away from intimidating humans for a while.

It didn't hurt that the small island was so pretty, either.

Arlong and Hachi reached the clearing and found Aria in a greenhouse, watering plants while still in pajama pants.

"Aria-chan! Come here!" Arlong ordered, and Aria seemed to jump out of her skin. But she came quickly, and didn't even drop the watering can she was carrying.

Aria was about average height, 5'5". Her arms and neck were thin and fragile looking, but she was stocky around her legs. She seemed content to walk around in a green tank top and leopard print pajama pants, complete with tan slippers. Her mid-back length curly pink hair had been tossed into a messy bun that was sticking to her neck, and her dark skin was flushed from the physical labor she had been doing. Her steely grey eyes glanced at the fishmen nervously, but she didn't say anything, and merely stood attention. If Hachi noticed her bruised neck and shoulder, he didn't react to it.

"Hachi here will be escorting you to and from town now. He will also check up on you daily, and make sure you're working." Arlong explained. Hachi waved energetically, to which Aria waved back at...not nearly as energetically.

"I'm glad we didn't have to kill you or anything, Aria-chan." Hachi said, grinning widely.

"Uh...Me too?" Aria replied, grinning nervously. Honestly, she didn't know what to make of this octopus-like fishman.

"Now, have you prepared a report on your research?" Arlong asked, smirking maliciously. Aria wondered if she was going to get mood whiplash from Hachi's over-friendliness and Arlong's bloodlust.

"Y-yes. It's on the dining room table. If you could please go over it while I finish up here?" Aria asked, putting on her best nervous smile. Her best nervous smile was very shitty, however, and Arlong sneered at her.

"Good. You _will_ explain everything to me fully once you are done." Arlong ordered. "Hachi, keep an eye on her."

"Okay, nyuuu." Aria bristled at the order, but otherwise made no opposition. Arlong wordlessly went into the house. Aria clenched her watering can tightly, exhaled out her anxiety, and went back into her greenhouse.

Hachi followed her silently, being careful not to stray from the thin path and step on any plants. Hachi was surprised at the variety of plants being grown. There were tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, radishes, and several other types of vegetables in this greenhouse. Aria had quite the green thumb.

She finished up watering quickly, as well as weeding and fertilizing, and Hachi left the greenhouse. Aria didn't follow. Instead, she dragged a stool to the middle of the greenhouse and sat down. Curious, Hachi came back inside.

Aria sang to her plants. Her voice was strong and confident, but her voice wavered when Hachi returned. Aria's normal voice was low, slow, and rough. But her singing was so light, so airy, and so filled with life that it took Hachi aback. There were no words to her song, only sound, and it was so powerful that Hachi could almost feel the waves passing through him. It was over as quickly as it started, and it left Hachi feeling strangely energetic and productive.

Aria dutifully placed the stool back where it belonged, and slipped past Hachi without disturbing any plants with surprising ease. Hachi watched, confused.

"What were you doing just now, Aria-chan?" Hachi asked as Aria left the greenhouse. She turned back to him, confusion on her face.

"Huh? Singing to the plants." She explained, as if that part hadn't been obvious. Hachi made a confused noise.

"Why?"

"Mm." Aria took a second to gather her thoughts. It would be easy to explain the grand scheme of why, but she had a feeling that wasn't what Hachi was after. Or was he? She couldn't tell. "Er, in my past research I've noticed that singing to plants has increased their growth. Uh. Soundwaves combined increased carbon dioxide levels improve their ability to grow. I'm not studying that anymore, I mean, but it still helps a lot when I live by myself and have to grow my own food. So! I was singing to help them grow so I can eat more of them when they're ready to be harvested. Yeah."

She seemed very flustered by her explanation, and she glanced over at Hachi with a cautious apprehension very apparent in her eyes. Hachi was grinning, though, so she couldn't have explained it too poorly, right?

"That's pretty useful knowledge, Aria-chan. I'm sure Arlong-san will find lots of uses for you." Hachi said encouragingly, and he roughly patted her shoulder as he walked by. Aria tensed at his words, her facial expression awkward and hesitant.

"Y-yeah, I'm sure he will." She agreed, nodding to herself, and bounded after Hachi. Aria found it curious that he waited for her by the door instead of inviting himself in like Arlong had. But, Hachi had confused her with everything he did. For a mafia man, he didn't seem the type. Yet he was loyal to Arlong. The contradictions made Aria nervous and distrusting. She didn't intend to analyze his every move, but...

Aria shoved those thoughts away and walked into her home, pausing to remove her shoes at the door. She frowned when she saw Arlong's sandals sitting right where they had been yesterday. They had been the only clue to tip her off that he had stuck around after yesterday, and the sight of them left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had been so damn foolish.

"Good, you're done playing in the garden." Arlong's taunt caused her to snap out of her thoughts. Arlong sat at the far end of the dining room table, facing both the entryway and the kitchen. He seemed out of place at the table, in the way that a hungry wolf seemed out of place in a hospital ward. Beneath his hand was Aria's development plans, and a small notebook laid open. Arlong hadn't even looked up from them. Aria noted that the two plates of breakfast vegetables and fruit she had laid out were untouched.

Aria glanced sideways at Hachi, wondering if he would say anything about her research out _there_ , but quickly shoved that idea away. Arlong glanced over at the door, noting the dirt caked on her hands and the way her skin sheened with sweat, and he glowered at her in disgust.

"You're filthy. Go clean up."

Aria blinked in surprise, but nodded. She zipped up the stairs, leaving Hachi and Arlong alone.

Arlong motioned for Hachi to sit down, and while Hachi sat he flipped to a specific page in the notebook. "Hachi-nii, do you remember that rumor about the Princess?"

Hachi frowned thoughtfully. "The one about Sea Kings or the one about Vander Decken?"

"The Sea Kings. Do you remember it?"

Hachi nodded. "When Otohime-sama was shot by the Celestial Dragon, the Princess cried out, and the soundwaves summoned Sea Kings. A lot of people thought it was just a coincidence, nyuu, but I remember Hody taking it really serious."

Arlong slid the notebook over to Hachi. His mood was curious yet somber, and he looked up at the stairs with a serious expression. "The woman thinks that Sea Kings can be controlled with soundwaves. She's noted several studies that involve Sea Kings and music, and one of her research applications involves that." He said quietly, like he was intentionally trying to not let Aria know what they were discussing.

Hachi picked up the notebook and read through the pages documenting the potential application and several sourced studies. Flipping through the pages, Hachi noted that several of these were potential research subjects, meaning that Aria hadn't started researching them yet but they were interesting enough to be considered. A few of them she had actually marked as researched or not - Hachi grinned when he saw that the plant research had been marked off as a success. Several notebooks were titled in the margins, indicating where to find the completed research.

"I know we're going to exploit her Devil Fruit abilities, Arlong-san, but...Sea King control? Is that even possible?" Hachi whispered.

Arlong shrugged nonchalantly. "Hell if I know." He motioned to the notebook. "Even if it isn't, the potential in that book is ludicrous." Arlong's lip curled into a smirk. "We found ourselves two perfect little pawns on this island, Hachi-nii. We've got ourselves a cartographer _and_ a weapons researcher."

Arlong was so pleased that taking over Conomi had been so bountiful. He'd only had to kill a few people so far, his pockets were nicely lined, and he could see his future being similarly bountiful. With Nami charting the seas, the Arlong Pirates could swim faster than any ship. They would have the tactical and geographical advantage every time they went to war. And with Aria, they would have the weaponry they needed to succeed. Arlong felt so victorious. Conquering the East Blue would be like child's play!

Hachi nodded absently, flipping through the book still. Then he paused, and read the page of interest with such determination that Arlong couldn't help but feel curious. "What is it, Hachi-nii?"

"There's a theory that soundwaves are the basis of Haki."

Arlong grinned toothily. It wasn't malicious, but its glee was unnerving all the same. "I saw. I'm eager to see if it's true. We'll have quite a bit of fun seeing what our little hermit can prove, won't we? Shahahaha!"

The sound of the squeaky bathroom door came from upstairs, and Arlong glanced towards the stairs again, gleefully. Hachi also glanced towards the stairs, but his thoughts were filled with the feeling that something was missing.

Aria descended the stairs sluggishly, towel-drying her curly hair as she did so, and turned to meet the gazes of the fishmen. She felt uneasy as she compared Hachi's focused stare compared to Arlong's gleeful grin.

"Did you find something you liked?" She asked, tone carefully even. Arlong's grin was already abnormally large, and yet it grew wider still. Aria clenched the towel, anxious.

"Why yes, we did. Sit down." Arlong ordered, and motioned to the seat next to him. Aria would have much rather preferred the seat farthest away, but she wasn't going to fight him. Aria noted his attitude was much different than the sneering attitude he had before, and she intended to keep it that way.

Aria sat down next to Arlong, and assessed him. Whatever had come over him was much more pleasant than the aggressive dismissals and snarling orders. Arlong actually seemed cheerful, and it wasn't a farce. His eyes held such a joy in them that it couldn't be fake, right? She didn't trust her judgement of his emotions to be accurate just yet, and steeled herself.

At the very least, Aria wanted to be as professional as possible. It wouldn't do to piss off Arlong. While last night she had slipped up and gotten herself into this mess, she could still get herself out if she played her cards right. After all, what was better than royally-sponsored research? Royally-sponsored research _and_ pirate-sponsored research! Aria smiled at the thought, and waited for Arlong to bring up his desire.

"I know today was suppose to be about talking what I wanted, Aria-chan, but I'm actually quite curious about _you_." Arlong smirked, and he brought a hand up to cradle his head. "After all, there are quite a few _mysteries_ about you."

What? Aria was taken aback. This wasn't how things were suppose to go at all. "P-pardon?"

Arlong laughed at the shock on her face. Hachi seemed relieved about this, for some reason. "Tell me about yourself, girl."

Aria clenched her towel."W-why do you need to know? _What_ do you need to know?"

Arlong's lip curled into a haughty smirk. He was practically gloating, but Aria couldn't tell why. "Well for starters, why are you doing research for Aqua Atlus _here_ instead of the New World, hmm?"

Aria's eyes widened. There was no way he could no about that unless - "You went through my letters?!" Aria _tried_ to keep her voice even, but despite her best efforts the question came out as a half-choked squeak. Her blood began to boil, and she had to bite her lip harshly to keep herself from doing something she might regret.

Arlong was enjoying her reactions, she could tell. He wasn't even trying to hide it. But he also wasn't confirming or denying her accusation.

Aria mulled over her next words carefully. If she told them too much about herself, she could get into a whole other can of worms. Finally she sighed and relented. "I'm here instead of Aqua Atlus because I'd rather be researching alone instead of worrying about the approval of coworkers or friends. The people of Aqua Atlus demand too much time, and that's just not something I want to give when I could be testing and studying and researching."

It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a whole lie, either. Arlong considered her words, then laughed mirthlessly. "As much as I'd love to believe your little hermit story, your letters mention a...shall we say...'person of interest.' One with a terminal illness, perhaps?"

Aria met Arlong's sneering eyes with cold, hard ones. "Yes. There are many people with illnesses that could be solved with my abilities, should I choose to turn my research to those areas. But I've chose not to."

Arlong's eyes narrowed at that. "Hmm? Not even to save your own sister?" He asked harshly. Aria cocked her head, and studied Arlong. He didn't seem like the type to care about familial bonds, but perhaps that was the reason a person like Hachi would be loyal to him? The answer was important to him, too, because he had clenched his fist tightly around the papers beneath his hand. Aria could tell she would have to chose her words wisely.

"Her illness may be terminal, but it won't kill her for _decades_. I'll get around to it, eventually, but I'm not putting my own interests on hold." Aria replied cooly.

Arlong's judgemental gaze bored into her, but she seemed to have passed his test with her answer. "You're quite selfish, aren't you?" Aria nodded. She was self-aware enough to realize that as a fault many years ago.

"If you won't save your own sister except at your own pace, why should I trust that you'll want to serve me, human?" Arlong asked.

"I like living." Aria replied, curtly.

"You've shown you're quite resourceful with those Devil Fruit abilities of yours. I doubt last night was convincing enough to truly make you obedient." Aria could feel Hachi glance at the bruises around her neck, and on her shoulder, but paid him no attention.

Aria instead gave Arlong a sneer of her own. "You're obnoxiously persistent. As long as I can keep researching _in peace_ I don't care whom I have to work for." Hachi glanced between the two nervously. Whatever good mood there had been before had completely dissolved, and the two might be at each other's' throats soon.

Unexpectedly, Arlong grinned toothily and without malice. "Well, as long as you do what I want, I don't care why you're working for me." He seemed amused by her back-talk, for some reason. He even patted her shoulder amicably, although with a roughness that caused her to wince.

Aria seemed taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. Was Arlong playing with her? He seemed to be pushing her buttons to make her angry, but she couldn't tell. Maybe he was trying to get her to slip up, as she had yesterday? Aria swallowed, her discomfort rearing up at the forefront of her mind.

Arlong was definitely amused by her shocked silence. Aria was capable of pushing his buttons with her powers, but he was capable of pissing her off by snooping around and questioning her. Truly, he was disappointed that she was so nonchalant about her sister's status, but he doubted it was as black and white as her just not caring about her sibling. She clearly had to reground herself not to attack him for his snooping, so it couldn't be unimportant to her.

"There are more questions about you that I'd liked answered, Aria-chan, but we'll leave them be for now." Aria nodded numbly. She was grateful that he was dropping the personal questions, but she also had to wonder if he'd keep switching moods so suddenly. She hadn't expected just the one person to give her mood whiplash. It was exhausting, and keeping her on edge.

Arlong motioned for Hachi to give him the notebook, and then pulled Aria's chair closer to him. The chair protested with a horrible scraping noise, and Aria had to resist yelping at the sudden movement. Instead she bristled at the sudden closeness of Arlong and his aggressive presence. It didn't help that he was so physically strong or that he towered above her, even while sitting.

Arlong flipped to the desired page and pointed at it. "This one. How soon would you be able to work on something for it?" Aria looked over it, and frowned.

"Haki being soundwaves? It's a pretty good theory, with a lot of evidence to back it up, but making something physical to utilize it would be difficult. Tapping into Haki itself is pretty mysterious. Most people aren't even aware it's a thing. Were you wanting something that made Haki stronger, or what?"

Arlong thought about it. Personally, he hadn't been able to awaken Haki yet. He hadn't yet needed to, but it would be so very useful. "No one in our crew can utilize Haki yet. A trigger for tapping into Haki would be ideal. Then we could move on to something more...weaponized."

Aria nodded slowly, thinking it over. "I would need to test it on a lot of people, and gather a lot of materials on Haki in general. It would probably take a few months just to get the research materials here."

Arlong frowned. While he hadn't expected a quick timeframe, knowing just gathering the materials would be a hassle decreased his interest. Still, he wasn't going to pass this up. "We'll put that on the back burner, then." He flipped through a few pages until he reached another interesting topic. "How about this?"

Aria's eyes lit up at the topic. "Sonic demolition? I was actually going to get to that soon. I have a few books on the topic already, but I hadn't gotten to them. Currently I'm working on sonic heating, which utilizes a few precursors to demolition. I'd need a few more books, but I can start testing it soon without it since the theory is pretty simple?"

Arlong grinned at the first 'soon.' "That's good to hear. We can make that one higher priority, then. I'm assuming you realize whatever you test has to work underwater?"

Aria hesitated for a second, but nodded. "Er, yeah. I'll probably need some assistance with that since I can't swim, but soundwaves are pretty interesting when applied to a liquid-based environment."

"We'll have plenty of assistants for you, Aria-chan. Now how about this one?"

They talked for much longer, discussing the pros and cons of almost the entire notebook, and how feasible everything was. After they had begun discussing work, the tension in the room had disappeared completely, as Aria and Arlong both stopped trying to piss each other off. Instead, Aria was either excitedly explaining topics (sometimes in way too much detail for Arlong to care for), and Arlong was trying to militarize the theories.

Later, they went upstairs and drafted up a timeline for the projects Arlong definitely approved of. She would be working on several projects at once, as many of them needed adequate time to be researched and to also find the materials for prototypes. He was staunchly against spending more money than necessary, so he was going to send a fishman courier to fetch whatever research materials she needed for the next few years instead of just doing the normal thing and asking a merchant ship to deliver them. Aria was also surprisingly frugal, turning her nose up at several pricetags, and refused to disclose how much funding she actually had. Arlong had quickly figured out that she had lied to him the day before, but honestly he had gotten a much better deal than just a hundred grand every month and so he decided he could care less.

Hachi got bored almost an hour in, and decided to take the laid out vegetables to the porch and eat. Hachi swung on the porch swing, and noted how peaceful everything was now. He hoped it would last, because the two seemed to butt heads easily. Arlong was not one to steel his temper. Aria, while physically weak, had a strong mind and a good grasp on her abilities. Her constant research on the very subject her powers were based in led her to understand the very nature of her strengths and weaknesses, and she had no problem using them on people who mildly inconvenienced her by breaking down her door.

When Hachi came back inside a few hours later, it was because he smelled more food being made. Sometime during the discussions, Aria had tossed some food on the stove and was cooking while she talked with Arlong about being able to heat water without causing steam. Arlong didn't really seem to care as much about the mathematical aspect of it as Aria did, but he did seem to approve of the technique and its potential applications.

Hachi was surprised that Aria had made both him and Arlong portions, especially as he had spent most of the morning eating the breakfast spread alone. Arlong hadn't touched the plate Aria had left out, and Hachi couldn't tell if that was out of suspicion or disdain at the thought of a human being a courteous host to a fishman.

He was also surprised that Aria had put on glasses and put her hair up into a bun, which caused her to look much older and sterner. It also showed off the bruises Arlong had left yesterday, leaving a growing pit in Hachi's stomach. Hachi didn't really want to inflict violence onto the humans of Conomi, but it did seem to be very effective in getting them to cooperate. Aria had made a very poor first impression on Arlong, however, and it was good fortune that she wasn't dead as a result.

 _"That stupid human. Who does she think she is?" Hachi heard Arlong snarl to himself. Hachi clenched the manilla folder and prescription tightly, and willed himself to stand in front of Arlong. No one wanted to stand before Arlong when he was in such a sour mood, but at least Hachi had good news._

 _"Arlong-san, I found out information about the hermit woman."_

 _Arlong lit up, and grinned at Hachi. "Hachi-nii. I can always count on you. What is it?"_

 _Hachi handed Arlong the file and the medicine. "A name, some doctor's note, patient information, and some tri-monthly prescription, nyuu. I also found out that she only comes to the island once every three months or so. No one really talks to her besides the pharmacy and the tailor."_

 _Arlong flipped through the file, frowning at how thin it was. "Not much to this, is there?" He sighed. "Better than nothing, I suppose. Hmm. Aria Reed, age 26, born April 19th, blood type...This doctor looks familiar. Wasn't she someone Jinbe didn't kill while we were Sun Pirates?"_

 _Hachi shrugged, not really remembering if she was or wasn't._

 _"I'm sure she is." Arlong said, eyes narrowing. "What's a damn Grand Line doctor doing giving a recommendation to an East Blue patient?"_

 _Arlong huffed and threw down the manilla folder. "Every time we go looking for answers, we get more questions, and I'm fed up with it. I'm going to go see that woman again. Hopefully this prescription will be all we need." Arlong grinned maliciously. "I would hate to have to resort to more property damage, but it seems that's all she'll respond to. A few smashed plants is all we'd need to get her running to town for food, after all."_

Looking at him now, Arlong didn't seem to hold a trace of malice towards the woman. Hachi brushed it off, however, as he knew Arlong would always be fickle.

"Hachi-nii, where did you go?" Arlong asked when Hachi sat down next to Arlong in the kitchen.

"Just outside, Arlong-san." Hachi answered, wondering if Arlong would press him about it. But he didn't, merely shrugged and turned his attention back to Aria, who was setting food down in front of both of them.

"Aria-chan will be joining the family, Hachi-nii. When she comes to Arlong Park, I want every fishman to treat her as one of our own." Arlong instructed, and Hachi nodded. He had expected that. Arlong was very much a family man, and if you worked for Arlong, you were his family. If you betrayed that family, well...

"Is she going to come live with us, like Nami-chan?" Hachi asked, remembering their most recent addition to their family. To be honest, the idea of both of them living at the complex was not a good one. Chew and Kuroobi weren't fond of Nami at all, and neither were the rest of the fishmen. To say that Nami was being treated poorly was an understatement. If temperamental Aria began living there, too, Hachi could already see everything going south.

Arlong shook his head. "No. We'll keep our hermit comfortable here." Arlong jested. Aria gave Arlong an annoyed look, but didn't say anything about his teasing.

"Nami-chan? Are you making lots of humans be your scientists, now?" Aria instead questioned, before munching on some stir fried zucchini.

"Shahahaha! No, but that's a good idea, Aria-chan." Arlong replied, and sunk his teeth into the food. "Nami-chan is our cartographer. Her loving mother chose to keep her alive instead of herself, and how could we say no to such devotion?" The way he said love was with such disgust it was impossible for Hachi to keep his face neutral.

Aria looked curious, but kept eating instead of asking any more. She glanced at Hachi, wondering if he would shed any more information, but the octopus fishman just ate quietly. He grinned in thanks for the food, but he'd rather not bring up any more uncomfortable topics.

The rest of the meal was held in silence, and eventually ended in silence. Hachi and Arlong decide to return to Arlong Park for the rest of the day, and Aria gratefully let them leave.

* * *

Aria groaned as she flopped onto her bed. The whole meeting had left her exhausted. While she had enjoyed discussing her work, planning out her life for the next several years was...sapping. The future was rigidly laid out before her, and that was what Aria had left home to avoid. Arlong was going to be forever present in her life, sneering and taunting her while being so handsy.

Aria rolled over and grabbed a stuffed animal. She considered her options. Giving her monthly stipend away wasn't even a consideration. She earned that money, dammit. Aside from that non-option, the easiest, but most annoying, would just to let Arlong do as he pleased. The thought irritated her. She didn't want to be his. She didn't want to have to gauge his approval for her every action. She didn't want to plan her entire research timeline based on his whims. She sighed, and aggressively turned over. Her second option was just to get the hell out of here. But that would involve collecting all her notes, abandoning her greenhouses and furniture and almost all of her belongings. She would have to leave this nice island, her nice house, and basically dismantle her lab and somehow get it back into a boat-shape that could _somehow_ get past the fishmen. And the third option was to fight Arlong. Aria scoffed at that idea. She was weaker in strength compared to almost all Devil Fruit users, if only because she had no interest in combat. She could stun people and escape all she wanted, but long term combat was not happening.

This was all so _annoying_. Aria had come to this remote island to get away from politics and social hostages and pirates. She didn't want to deal with anyone's _expectations_ of her. And frankly, the idea of having to deal with someone who would probably kill her if she disappointed gave her a great deal of anxiety. Like, even more than she usually had when she dealt with obligations.

What was worse was that he demanded she write down her entire daily schedule. And he was going to send a babysitter to check and see if she was following that schedule. Aria did have a pretty solid routine going on, but this made it feel set in stone. Aria scowled at the idea of being punished for not following it for a day.

It didn't help that Arlong was so bothersome and aggravating, either. He'd been pushing her buttons all day, even when she was trying to explain how things worked and give him information. They'd almost gotten into a near fight, but Arlong had backed off.

Aria grumbled at the memory.

 _"What, you can't learn it that fast? Even Nami-chan could probably do this faster." Arlong taunted from behind her. Aria growled and clenched her pen angrily. Had he no sense in how long it would take to learn how to use all of those tools? Not to mention if she screwed up, she could seriously injure herself._

 _"If you want good-quality shit then I can't rush learning the basics. They're called the basics for a reason." Aria sneered back, her brow set into a heavy scowl as she glared up at him. Arlong glowered down at her in disapproval._

 _"I don't have time to waste on a human who can't even learn quickly." He muttered darkly. The chair scraped against the floor noisily as she stood, and the anger she felt didn't ebb even the slightest as she whipped around._

 _"This is faster than the best_ fishmen _at this point." Aria boasted, poking Arlong in his bare chest roughly. "And it's damn well better than you'd do. I know how to fucking learn."_

 _Arlong's eyes narrowed dangerously, and his distaste was practically tangible. Aria felt a flicker of fear, and prepared to flee if she had to. She tensed up even more. But she wasn't going to let him tell her how fast she could go when he barely acted like he sat through his education at all._

 _Several moments passed in uncomfortable silence as they sized each other up. Thankfully, Arlong seemed to be cooling down with each shakey heartbeat. Eventually he rubbed his head and let out an exasperated sigh._

 _"I'll take your word for it, human. But don't you dare let me down." Arlong ordered. Aria nodded, secretly feeling relieved. She didn't know if she could outrun him. Or if he'd even follow. He might just wait here for her again._

 _She relaxed her pose, putting a hand on her hip. "I won't," she promised._

 _Arlong grinned, grabbed her chin, and jerked her over so that he could jeer down at her. "Good. I get what I want, and you get what you want, Aria-chan." He hummed approvingly, eyes showing amusement at her sudden discomfort and fear. "Clothes, books, food. As long as you do what I want, I'll get you anything your heart desires." His hot breath moved the hair on her forehead into her eyes, and she couldn't help but close them and wince._

 _He released her, and laughed as she fell down. "Who knows, maybe I could even get you a human husband, Aria-chan. You're too pretty to be an old maid who spent her life on books instead of people."_

 _The backhanded compliment made her glare up at him. Aria bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from making a comeback, and instead picked herself off the ground and brushed off her legs._

 _Arlong just kept laughing like he'd told the funniest joke in the world, and Aria decided she wanted to torture him. Maybe she'd give him some homework. She smirked at the thought, even, and when Arlong caught sight of it he sobered. "What?"_

 _"You don't really understand how sound works, do you?"_

 _Arlong shrugged. "Not to the extent you would." Aria put a finger to her lip thoughtfully and hummed._

 _"It will be hard to explain project goals if you don't understand the specifics, Arlong." Aria walked to her bookcase and started looking for a specific title. She was going to find the worst-written, hardest to read book, and give it to him._

 _"I don't need to know the specifics. That's what_ you're _here for." Arlong replied, and crossed his arms haughtily. Aria laughed at the idea._

 _"And then how would you know if I was being truthful, hmm? Ah, here it is." Aria pulled the heavy book from the shelf. It was easily 800-pages long, held no helpful diagrams or graphics of any sort, and was written in the teeniest writing Aria had ever seen. It had been a nightmare to go through the first several times, and even now Aria held resentment for even daring to spend money on it._

 _She handed the book to Arlong with a coy smirk on her face, not even bothering to hide her mirth. She was going to have so much fun with this. "You should probably read this to get up to speed on the basics." Arlong was disgusted by the idea. It was written all over his face._

 _"I'd rather throw this in the sea and see how fast it would sink." Arlong said dryly as he flipped through the book._

 _Aria pouted at the thought. "But Arlong, I thought fishmen were a lot smarter than humans," she whined. Aria vaguely recalled Arlong's insult during their planning earlier. "I went through this when I was fifteen."_

 _Her poke at his pride only seemed to make the idea of reading it even more distasteful. She got a nasty scowl for that little bit of manipulation. "Anyway, it would really help us if we could talk about the subject without having to go over the basics every time. We'd save a lot of time."_

 _Arlong considered the tome of a book. He opened it again and looked at its content with revulsion. The idea of reading such a poorly sized book seemed to be making him feel visibly peaked. "Would it really?" He asked with an unhappy sigh._

 _Aria nodded vigorously. "Yes! You'd be helping me out a lot."_

 _Arlong hummed thoughtfully, and then nodded. "Fine." Aria grinned. Arlong may be terrible at pushing her buttons, but it seemed she could work him just as well. Aria just had to resist pissing him off. She could mess with him in other ways._

Aria groaned. She really didn't have any motivation to work now. All that 'social interaction' stuff had drained all her energy.

She hated it. She hated all of it. She hated Arlong's stupid, gaunt face with his pointy nose, the way he towered over her menacingly and bared his teeth constantly, the fact that he was ever so eager to break her or touch her with that nasty sea-stone ring. Aria pursed her lips, idly touching her bruised neck. And what was up with those anklets? They looked ridiculous! Even Hachi wore them, but they suited his personality much more than Arlong's.

Grumbling, Aria decided she ought to get further in her latest novel she'd bought. It had been a while since she'd read for non-scientific pleasure, after all. At least then she could distract herself from the Fishmen who were going to take over her life. She pulled the trashy novel off its permanent place on her dresser, and took a look at its cover.

Fuck.

It had a fishman love interest.

Aria groaned at her poor memory. She considered throwing it in the trash, but she remembered she used to be pretty invested in what the Whale Shark fishman was going to do to woo the human princess.

Aria made a comfortable reading fort, and then tried to immerse herself in the novel.

* * *

Arlong flipped through the book in a huff. This was absolutely awful. Whoever had written this book needed to be rounded up, tied to a post, and executed. It was dry, it was confusing, the writing was teeny and smudged in places, and Arlong was thoroughly pissed off about all of it.

 _"You're too pretty to be an old maid who spent her life on books instead of people."_

This had to be retribution for that. Surely she had plenty of other books that explained the basics better than this shit. Aria had at least sixteen bookcases. One of them had to have a better book.

Arlong wasn't even sure why he'd said that, but he sure regretted it now. Aria was a petty, selfish bitch. And she knew how to hit his pride in all the worst spots. She was observant as hell and picked up on his human complaints within moments, manipulating them into something she could use. She had a sharp tongue and wasn't going to stand down just because he looked at her threateningly. She knew when Arlong was bullshitting her, and would aggressively call him out on it.

Arlong was also fairly sure she'd over-salted his meal on purpose. He'd eaten all of it just to spite her.

God, she pissed him off. Arlong hoped she would settle down into something more manageable. Although, it would help if he could just stop baiting her. Arlong closed the book in a huff. He wasn't going to be able to get through more of this until he'd had a long shower.

* * *

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"Nyuu, well you're right about that! I'll make sure to tell you about it all later on. I would today, but there's a lot of work to do back at Arlong Park."

"Is everything Arlong owns named after Arlong?" Aria asked dryly.

"It seems like it!" Hachi confirmed.

"Jeez. I hope I don't end up as Aria-long."

* * *

AN: I really wish I'd started watching My Hero Academia before writing the beginning of Hellbent, because I feel like Bakugo is a great inspiration for Arlong.

Also, when I first started seriously considering this fic, I didn't want Aria to join Arlong at all! She was going to be a petulant hermit for as long as she could be, lmao. But then when I started writing it she wound up becoming a pirate a lot sooner than I assumed...||orz Though imo it's better this way, as I can have a lot more interesting arcs. See you next week!


	5. Stones Start Rolling

Chapter 5: Stones Start Rolling

* * *

Hachi arrived on the island alone the next day around mid-afternoon. He was only going to be there for a short time today, because everyone was suppose to be helping prepare for their next island raid. It wasn't for another few weeks, but they were making sure everyone was ready. _Everyone_.

Hachi was only dropping by for a short laundry list of reasons. First - make sure Aria was actually following the schedule she gave to Arlong and wasn't just bullshiting. Second - get a better book for Arlong, because if he kept trying to read the current one he was going to go on a rampage. Third - ask when Aria intended to go to town next. And lastly - he was going to inform her that she would be participating on this next island raid.

Hachi looked at the schedule Aria had hastily written out. Judging from the notebook she had given to Arlong yesterday, she normally had neat, careful hand-writing that was emphasized by her overuse of underlining, bulleted lists, and paragraph bracketing. This...was barely legible. Hachi guessed it was intentional. Either way, by now she would be done taking care of the greenhouse and her small collection of animals, showered and eaten, and should be studying.

Hachi knocked politely before entering. He knew by now that she always kept the door unlocked, but it felt like an intrusion. "Aria-chan, I'm here to check up on you!" He called, trying to keep at least some of his manners.

"Kay!" She called from upstairs. Hachi frowned. She certainly wasn't very welcoming today. Still, Hachi climbed the stairs to see her. It occurred to him that he had never been upstairs before.

He took in the surroundings slowly, and took notice of Aria hunched over a desk, deeply entranced in her work. It seemed much more lively up here than the clinical cleanliness of downstairs. Even before she had eaten yesterday, she had cleaned all the pans and utensils she had used to prepare their meal, and then eaten and cleaned up once again. It was...odd. And it definitely was a contrast to the mess in the vacant room.

"Aria-chan, I have to talk to you about a few things." Hachi said. He didn't enter her room, feeling like he had intruded enough, and instead leaned against the doorframe with his many arms crossed.

Aria grunted, but continued working. After a few moments of waiting however, she turned to face Hachi. "Does Arlong have more demands?" She asked, coolly. Hachi felt a twinge of regret for disturbing her, as she obviously didn't like it, but persisted. She needed to know what was required of her, after all, and letting down Arlong wasn't an option.

"Nyuuu...I wouldn't say they were new demands." Hachi paused at her narrowed eyes. He should probably start with the small stuff first. "Arlong-san wants a new book. He says he's not having trouble reading the one you gave him, but he gets really mad whenever he opens it."

Hachi wasn't expecting her to snigger behind her hand, but that's what happened. She smirked and walked over to the bookcase in the corner of the room, picked out a book, and tossed it at Hachi. "How far did he get?" Aria asked, hand on her hip. Hachi noticed that the bruising around her neck looked worse, but her hair was down, and concealed most of it. She also had her glasses on, and with her hair down they looked very cute together. She was wearing a purple tank top and some green denim shorts, and some purple ankle socks. Shorts and sleeveless shirts seemed to be her go-to outfit, as every time Hachi had visited, she had been wearing some variant of the combination.

"Not very far. Chapter three, I think." Hachi admitted. Aria whistled lowly.

"That's farther than I expected he'd last. Well, I'll give him points, then." Aria leaned against the dresser casually.

"It's probably not wise to taunt him like that, Aria-chan. He was genuinely trying to understand, and you were messing with him."

Aria snorted. "Genuinely trying to understand? He said he'd rather pitch the book into the sea." She sniffed in disapproval. "Still, I'm impressed that he got that far so fast. Tell him I said that."

Hachi didn't know how to take that, but Aria didn't seem like the type to dish out praise for small tasks, so he smiled at her. "Alright. Next up - when are you going to Cocoyashi again?"

Aria cocked her head at the question. When was she going back? She glanced at a calendar on the wall, but made no move to actually check the date. "I think...a few more weeks? I'm running out of chicken feed soon, so I'll have to go then. Why?"

Hachi was happy to hear she'd want to go soon. Arlong had a lot of plans for her, but he wanted her to leave the tiny island of her own accord first. Said she was of more use willing than pissed off and petty. Hachi had to agree. "Arlong-san wants you to visit the compound. See what we're working with. And - he wants you to get the official crew welcome, nyuu."

Aria laughed at that. It wasn't haughty nor malicious, and Hachi thought it was a nice sound. "He really wants me to be part of his 'family?' He's known me for, what, a week?"

Hachi smiled as well. Arlong was very trusting when it came to pacts and deals and the like. Those he made allegiance with were treated very well. If you could live long enough to make a pact, you deserved it, anyway. Hachi tried to not think about the countless humans who hadn't. "Arlong-san likes to treat those he has an alliance with well."

Aria shrugged nonchalantly. "If you say so. But you'll have to brief me on this 'official crew welcome' ordeal. Arlong's touchy and handsy, and I doubt the rest of the crew is as pleasant to be around as you."

Aria's praise made Hachi light up. He was practically beaming. Maybe visiting Aria every day wouldn't be so bad. She seemed nice and relaxed, so long as you were pleasant. She was willing to crack jokes and tease, so she couldn't be just a haughty hermit. Perhaps it was only people like Arlong that set off her haughty side? "Nyuu, well you're right about that! I'll make sure to tell you about it all later on. I would today, but there's a lot of work to do back at Arlong Park."

"Is everything Arlong owns named after Arlong?" Aria asked dryly.

"It seems like it!" Hachi confirmed.

"Jeez. I hope I don't end up as Aria-long." Hachi couldn't help but snigger. He was still surprised she actually cracked a joke.

Hachi considered going back home, but then he remembered he still had one more thing to discuss with Aria. "Last thing before I have to go. Arlong-san wants you to join us in the next time we go take over an island."

Aria's shock was only there for a split second before it was replaced by confusion. "Me? For what? I can't fight." If she was distraught by the information, Hachi couldn't tell. Aria seemed more confused than anything, her head cocking to the side and her index finger tapping her lip.

Hachi shrugged. "Sorry, I don't know, nyuu. You'll have to ask him." She frowned at that, and Hachi wished he had more to give her.

Aria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay. When is he coming back, again?" She was very exasperated by it all.

"Within the week. He hasn't decided yet." Aria groaned. Hachi rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "I've really got to get back now, nyuu. I'll see you tomorrow, Aria-chan."

"Okay. Bye, Hachi, see you tomorrow." She waved at him half-heartedly, and Hachi saw he'd lost her to her thoughts. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were pursed thoughtfully. Hachi gave her one last glance over and had to agree with her assessment. She really wasn't a fighter. She had muscle from farmwork and labwork, but that was minimal. Her stances were defensive usually, but in a lazy, untrained way. Hachi could tell she got way too preoccupied with what she was thinking about, and would zone out.

What was Arlong thinking, bringing her along to their next raid?

* * *

Word had gotten out rather quickly that Arlong had invited yet another human to the Arlong Pirates. The fishmen were confused. Weren't they supposed to hate humans? Not be joining rank with them?

Hachi had spread the word that the new human was supposed to be treated like a sister. The fishmen scoffed at the idea. They were fond of Arlong's brotherly love, but they didn't want it wasted on a _human_. Especially not one who wouldn't even be living with them.

In general, the fishmen were acting rather pissy about the whole thing. They didn't know much about this new woman. She was a scientist, apparently. And she had a Devil Fruit power, which made her literally dead weight in sea combat. She wasn't even going to visit until next month, possibly right before the island raid where they might have to fight to the death together.

Hachi had mentioned offhand that she could sing quite nicely, and that she could cook well, and that she hadn't shown malice towards anyone but Arlong. The fishmen had grumbled that maybe she wasn't so bad, they guessed. Chew had said that she had used her Devil Fruit powers to force them to put her door back after Arlong ripped it off its hinges, and that she seemed like an ornery brat, and that he couldn't believe she had actually smacked Arlong. The fishmen wanted to kill her after that.

All they had to go on was word of mouth, and those words were extremely conflicting. To Kuroobi, however, rumors didn't mean shit.

Kuroobi hated the idea of having another human crewmate. Nami was bad enough. She couldn't fight, she was horribly spiteful towards Arlong, and she was ten. A literal child. But another human woman? A grown woman, who couldn't fight, would drown if she so much walked too far down the beach shore, and who looked down on her own kind so much that she would rather be a hermit? Admittedly, that last one was a stretch, but what other reason could she have for being a hermit? Unless she thought she was too self-reliant to need any help, and that spoke of arrogance and ego by itself.

Kuroobi also knew to take Hachi's words with a grain of salt. He knew of his fondness for humans. Hachi could make friends with anyone, if he really wanted to. It was no surprise that Hachi liked their new human mate and that they would treat Hachi well. But anyone else? That would be impossible, probably. All they had to do was wait and her true hatred would come out.

In the meantime, though, Kuroobi wanted to keep a close eye on her. He wouldn't let her take a toe out of line.

That's why he was currently sneaking away and onto her island, after all. It was pitch black out, no moon and only the stars in the sky, and everything was quiet. The sea was pleasantly calm, and there was a light breeze over the island. Ultimately, this would aide him in stealthily keeping an eye on her.

Most of the lights were off in the house. There was only a single light on, on the second floor. Presumably, she would be busy reading and wouldn't be off doing anything else. Kuroobi stared at the light, wondering what his next move would be, when the door to the balcony opened.

"Are you another one of Arlong's men?" Asked a sonorous voice, and a woman appeared on the balcony. Kuroobi studied her intently. She wasn't very tall, although he hadn't expected her to be. She had a bell-shaped body, with thin arms, a relaxed bosom, and wide hips. A thick pink mane of hair flowed around her dark skin. He couldn't see her face, but he knew she was scanning the area for him. "Answer me." She ordered, and Kuroobi scoffed. Somehow, she picked up on that sound, and bore her eyes directly into where he was standing.

Suddenly he felt very unsettled. He knew she couldn't see him any more than he could see her, but it felt like she could find him wherever he moved from now on. Kuroobi recalled that her powers were sound-based, and realized he had lost whatever upperhand he had held.

"Kuroobi. From the Arlong Pirates." Kuroobi introduced, although he made it very clear that he didn't want to be introducing himself to her. He stepped closer towards the house, towards the light, and he could see that she was glaring down at him from behind her glasses. Inwardly, he scoffed. Not malicious towards fishmen? As if.

She crossed her arms. "Why are you here, Kuroobi?" She was unfriendly and had no kindness in her voice. Kuroobi wondered if Hachi had deluded her being pleasant in any way.

"Arlong said there was another _human_ joining us." He hoped he had made his contempt clear.

"Oh. You're another human-hater." She rolled her eyes, and waved a hand dismissively. "Honestly. I just want to study. Keep your race shenanigans to yourselves. I'll leave you guys alone if you leave me alone." The ray fishman was surprised at her sudden flippancy. Any hardness she held in her eyes had vanished, and instead she just seemed miffed or bored. He honestly couldn't tell which.

"A _crewmate_ doesn't leave another alone." Kuroobi growled. She tilted her head, considering his words. They stood there in silence, feeling the impact of those words, and stared at each other.

"...No, I suppose not." She said, eventually. "However, my duty is here. I'm researching weaponry now. I doubt you would appreciate me accidently destroying your local landmarks on Conomi."

Kuroobi shrugged. "I don't care at all about what you would do to the island."

"Hmm."

They stood in silence.

"Arlong-san figured out you lied to him." Kuroobi finally said.

"About what?"

"Don't play dumb. The money. You receive plenty of funding to pay your dues every month. But you lied. Why?"

"Oh." She shrugged. "I need it, obviously."

Kuroobi snorted. "More than you need your life?"

She smiled at him condescendingly. "Without my funding, I have no life. I can grow crops and tend to animals all I want, but that's _boring_. I need to be researching. Learning. Contributing."

Kuroobi blinked. He understood a need to contribute, but to who was she contributing to before? No one, most likely. "You never buy anything that you can't make here." He argued. She huffed, amused.

"That's what the villagers say. I buy plenty. Just not from them." She waved her hand dismissively again. "Anyway. Is this all? I really need to get back to what I was doing."

"Depends. What were you doing?"

She laughed at that, genuinely and not condescendingly. "You're interrogative. But would you really believe me if I told you?"

"No." Kuroobi said, simply and without hesitation. She grinned at him, genuinely amused by his answer. He stared stupidly as she waved.

"Bye, Kuroobi."

"Bye?" He replied, hesitantly as she turned and went back inside.

Kuroobi stood there for several more moment, arms crossed, considering their exchange. It certainly hadn't gone as expected. He had intended to gauge her for himself, but he felt more confused than anything. Eventually, he sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't going to get anything more out of this until later. He decided to go back home, for now. Maybe he'd visit again some other time and see if she responded this way again. Who knows?

The door opened, and Kuroobi turned to it.

"Kuroobi. Don't come back in the dead of night next time. I thought you were an enemy." Kuroobi assessed her warning, trying to decide if it was a threat or not.

"You have enemies?" He tried instead.

Her silence told him more than she probably intended. "...No." She said, finally.

Kuroobi snorted, and shook his head. "If you want Arlong to fight your battles, you've made a bad deal."

"Our enemies are the same. Marines, the World Government, humans. Don't worry about them."

Kuroobi stared at her curiously. Briefly, he wondered if this was her trusting him. He shrugged. "I need to tell Arlong either way."

He was still close enough that he could see her clench the doorframe. But she sighed, and replied, "okay. That's fine. Just...pass along my message to anyone else who wants to visit. Come in the day, not at night. I'd rather not attack my...fellow crew?" She tested out, and Kuroobi could see how uncomfortable the phrase made her feel. But she was trying, he supposed. Apparently she had taken his words about them being crewmates now seriously. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, so he settled on annoyed.

"I'm not your messenger." He grumbled, and headed back towards Arlong Park.

While it was late and Kuroobi had a long day ahead of him, he was too restless to sleep. There were too many things on his mind. The hermit had been the least of his worries, and they had been ranked higher after their conversation. But there were other things he needed to mull over and that required his attention. More problems for him to solve.

Kuroobi liked to think of himself as a preemptive problem solver. It sounded much better than 'paranoid' and felt much truer. Whenever there had been an issue in their ragtag band of orphans, Kuroobi had always tried to sort it out. He was the one best equipped for it, as Hachi had to deal with hiding his brand from everyone, Arlong had Shyarly to look out for, and Chew was always searching for the humans that murdered his parents.

It had always been like this, up until Tiger died, Kuroobi thought with a heavy sigh. That's when everything changed. That's when Arlong was captured and sent to Impel Down. And nothing had been the same since, let alone their alliance with the other Fishman Pirates.

Arlong wasn't better yet, like he and Chew had hoped he would be once they arrived in the East Blue. It had been nearly half a year since the shark's spat with the newest Warlord, but Arlong wasn't the type to forget his debts nor the salt rubbed into his wounds. Arlong was surprisingly clammy about what he'd endured during his year and a half long prison stint, so there wasn't any chance of Kuroobi helping him deal with _those_ issues. No matter how many times he'd tried.

This new goal of Arlong's was lofty, and Kuroobi was scared that his childhood friend would be irreparable if it failed. And if they succeeded? Nami wouldn't be the only orphan they would create. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, and Kuroobi wondered how Chew felt about that concept. Neither Hachi nor Arlong had their parents murdered, after all.

Kuroobi stepped into the deserted training room. It was his, was made specifically for him so that he could train their men, but it didn't feel like the one he'd shared with Jinbe as a child. It didn't feel like coming home.

It looked similar enough, with the black padded floors, the wood panel walls, variously sized punching bags hanging from the ceiling, the lockers in the corner, and the display ring in the center of the room. Even though he'd personalized the decor to suit his own tastes, it felt alien. Perhaps it was the smell of the wind and sea here, or the fact they'd only been on Conomi a month and a half, but it just didn't feel right.

Despite his muddled feelings, Kuroobi worked through his kata. The repetition made him feel at ease, but his thoughts didn't turn any cheerier.

After too short of a time, Kuroobi became aware of quiet footsteps, too light and delicate to be of any fishman's. He continued his routine even as he heard the door slide open, and the child slip into the room. He didn't turn to face her, knowing she would address him first when her desperation became too great.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Kuroobi-sama. I...I was wondering if you would train me. Please." The girl squeaked out. Kuroobi could have laughed. If any fishman had come to his Master's dojo and pleaded like that, they would have been turned away due to the shakiness of their voice. Instead, he turned to the child. She stood close to the door, frowning in worry, and her hand clenched her upper arm. She looked very much like someone who didn't want to be there, but was being forced to by a parent.

"Perhaps, Nami. Did Arlong-san tell you to come to me?"

Nami shook her head, the worry on her face intensifying. "No." Kuroobi raised his brows, surprised. After he had heard of the deal between Nami and Arlong, he was sure that Arlong would want her to begin training. Either Arlong was too caught up in his plans, or he didn't care if the girl got hurt.

"Then you've come of your own accord?"

"Yes. Please, I need to be strong in order to take down targets!" Nami bowed to him, but it was at the waist and not the knee. Another difference between humans and fishman, Kuroobi guessed. Still, he respected the fact that the girl was willing to ask him for training. After all, it had been he who had locked her in the cartography room the moment it was constructed, and she had been mousy and timid around him since.

"I will ask Arlong's permission, then. If he gives it, your training will begin immediately."

Nami stood up fully, and for once Kuroobi thought he saw a genuine smile in her brown eyes. "Thank you, Kuroobi-sama! I won't disappoint you!" She clenched her clasped hands tighter.

Kuroobi shook his head. "You shouldn't thank me. My training will not be easy, even if you are a human child. And that's _if_ Arlong-san approves."

Worry entered her eyes again, but Nami kept her expression up. "O-of course."

Kuroobi turned away from her and began his routine from the beginning. "Go to bed, girl."

"Good night." Nami said before she departed, her soft footsteps eventually fading into nothingness.

Kuroobi sighed. That was another problem preemptively solved.

* * *

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Arlong closed the book, and tucked it into his pants, hidden under his loose shirt. He turned the corner to see Aria just reaching the final step. She frowned when she noticed him.

"Do you always enter people's homes unannounced?" She asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.

* * *

 **AN** : For some reason, Chew and Kuroobi are the hardest for me to write, even though their characters are pretty simple and I have a good idea about the backstory I've given them...


	6. Complicated People

Chapter 6: Complicated People

* * *

The weather was once again warm and sunny. It seemed to be eternally warm and sunny on Conomi, and this had kept morale up high. It would rain, sure, but only for a few hours, tops. The sounds of building had begun again, as the fishmen were putting up gates around Arlong Park.

Inside the compound, supplies were being checked off, weaponry maintained, and men training. Arlong Park was brimming with energy, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. It was another day of preparations for their raid.

The next island wasn't too far from Conomi, but it had a Marine Base on it. Taking over Conomi would be child's play in comparison. Arlong intended to make the base there his, by either bribery or force, and he didn't care which way it turned out to be.

It would be their first real fight since coming to the East Blue, and while everyone knew it was the weakest of the seas, they had seen the strongest and knew not to be overconfident. Overconfidence killed, every time. Everything was being prepared well in advance, plans were being drawn up, and contingency plans in case those plans failed. Several fishmen had gone on espionage missions, and had taken Nami to observe the seas there for her cartography.

Arlong observed his small empire with glee, practically brimming with energy. He could see his empire expanding with each weapon tested, each supply checked off, and each fishman's roar. With Nami's cartography skills, Aria's weaponry, and their brute strength, it would be only a few years until they had conquered this entire sea.

Despite his growing ambition, Arlong used his overflowing energy to practice with his Kiribachi and maintain it. He hadn't since before they had overthrown Cocoyashi and later Goza, as he'd had more than enough to keep him distracted and occupied, and he could feel himself getting too far off his routines.

First, he made sure the blades were clean and sharp. It wouldn't do if they were worn down. He lovingly maintained the weapon that Fisher Tiger had bought for him, chiding himself for not taking better care of the gift. It was the only thing he cherished more than treasure, though it was still below his crew's importance.

Then Arlong worked on his stances, only remembering to after overhearing Kuroobi knocking someone on their ass for not doing so. Kuroobi's harsh lessons made the crew much stronger, and as their captain, Arlong couldn't dare slack on something so simple. Arlong wasn't that good with Fishman Karate, if only because he lacked the patience for such a slow style of fighting, but he could appreciate what the style taught. Defense. Offense. Keep an eye on your center of gravity. Be precise, and don't waste even a single movement. Breathe.

Then it was strength training. Arlong was pleased to see he hadn't lost anything during his busy period. In fact, he would probably have to get new weights.

Arlong trained alone for most of the day, not even noticing when the sun had gone down and Hachi had returned with his daily information on Aria. He was so engrossed in practicing that Hachi's sudden presence startled him. He hadn't even heard him knock or open the door.

"Nyuu, sorry, Arlong-san, but I thought you'd like to hear my daily report. It's nothing eventful, though, so I can come back later if need be." Hachi said sheepishly after Arlong nearly dropped his Kiribachi. Still, Hachi waited for Arlong to be truly finished training.

"No, it's fine, Hachi-nii." Arlong put his Kiribachi in its rightful place, and couldn't help remembering what Kuroobi had told him the night before.

 _"She has enemies, Arlong. Even if she says she's done with them, or that we share the same enemies, we'll have to deal with them eventually. It would be easier to cut her off sooner than later."_

Frowning, Arlong turned to Hachi. "Did she mention anything suspicious?"

Shaking his head, Hachi replied, "no, it was mostly just small talk as she worked. I even asked her why she became a hermit, nyuu, and while she didn't avoid the question, she was embarrassed to answer it."

Arlong tutted. "We'll get it out of her eventually. I knew it seemed too good to be true, that someone like her would be out here in the boondocks." Arlong grumbled. Despite that, instead of worrying about it, he shook it off. Kuroobi's worries weren't for naught, but they weren't immediate, either. Aria was more useful alive than dead, and Arlong was loathe to push her away when she had so much to offer. "Her schedule is matching up with she wrote down, isn't it?"

"Yes, almost exactly. I don't know how much progress she's making yet, but she's definitely keeping time well." Hachi grinned, remembering something. "Although, her goat's an asshole. She nearly took out Aria by headbutting her."

"She has a goat? What the fuck? I didn't see any areas for livestock anywhere." Arlong leaned up against the only table in the room, the one he dined on when he was too busy to eat in the dining hall. He couldn't help snorting at the idea of Aria doubling over and glaring at a goat half her size, murder in her eyes.

"It's further in on the island, although not by much, nyuu." Hachi explained. He leaned up against the doorframe, arms crossed. "She only has the one goat and three chickens, which is probably the only place she gets any sort of milk or eggs."

"No wonder she looks like a rough breeze could tip her over." Arlong cackled. Hachi nodded in amused agreement.

"It would probably be good to send her some fish or something. She said she's not a vegan or anything, just that she doesn't want to go out and get meat. And she's rightfully wary of water."

Arlong smirked at that. The ocean was dangerous for normal humans, and as a Devil Fruit user, Aria was doubly dangered by it. But it wasn't just drowning she had to worry about now. They were here. And with them, they had brought Grand Line Sea Kings. Only a few, to make traversing the Calm Belt easier and to pull their ship, but only a single Sea King was necessary to destroy an entire village.

Hopefully they could test how destructive Sea Kings were against the Marine Base.

"Does Aria-chan act worried about participating in the raid?"

Hachi couldn't stop the smirk that wedged itself on his face. "Of course. Aria-chan knows she can't fight at all. I brought it up again today, and she looked like she was going to snap her pen in half." Arlong snorted, while Hachi chuckled. But Hachi sobered quickly. "Why _are_ you having her fight, anyway? Aria-chan would be more a hinderance than a help."

"She boasts so much about sound's power that I want to see it in person." Arlong replied. He pushed off the table, and as he passed by Hachi a malicious grin spread out over his face, and his eyes glinted dangerously. "And I want to see how little she cares about her fellow man. She says she doesn't care at all about Cocoyashi. But how about an innocent village, so weak it has to have a Marine presence to ward off invaders? Shahahaha! It'll be so fun to see her true colors."

Hachi couldn't help but grimace at the thought. "It'll be good to test her loyalty." Hachi agreed. "And it will leave a good impression with the rest of the crew, too." Hachi nodded, more to himself than Arlong. Hachi hoped Aria wouldn't need to do anything horrible to anyone, but with Arlong pushing for her to participate in the upcoming raid, Hachi could see it coming. He needed to steel himself.

"I hope she passes." Arlong replied as he turned a corner and disappeared from view. Hachi frowned. Hachi didn't know much about Aria, but as a hermit researcher, he couldn't see her wanting to interact with anyone, let alone do them harm. But she also didn't care about her reputation with the villagers.

Hachi's thoughts turned to Nami. Nami cared about what the villagers thought of her. She had teary eyes for days when Arlong had given them her tattoo, yet had never cried. The villagers had shunned her, even old man Genzo. She hadn't left the compound since, and no amount of bribing by Hachi could get her to leave.

Nami also despised killing, Hachi knew. She was so spiteful when she talked about it, and so jaded for someone so young. Yet Hachi knew that was all because of Arlong's actions and his own inaction. Had they not killed Nami's mother and kidnapped her, she wouldn't be so miserable and angry and cold. She wouldn't need to bite her lip until it bled to restrain herself from crying, or hide behind her shaky smile that never reached her eyes.

Aria wasn't nearly as standoffish as she had been when they first met, and was slowly opening up to Hachi. There wasn't much yet, as they had only known each other for less than a week, but she had thoughtfully prepared Arlong and Hachi breakfast and then lunch after Arlong had...convinced her to join. On the days when Hachi would stop by around mealtime, he knew she would prepare something for him. Aria had told him small, inconsequential things about herself, and Hachi had returned in kind. They could be friends, if Hachi worked it that way.

Arlong could ruin Aria as much as he ruined Nami. Hachi knew her bitterness would be worse, her anger worse, and her reactions more volatile. Aria was a Devil Fruit user, and she had yet to show hesitations on using her powers to get what she wanted when provoked. If she didn't openly defy Arlong, she would probably push Hachi and Arlong away and make herself unbearable and isolate herself to the point where they would need to kill her.

Arlong poked his head out around the corner. "Hachi, why are you spacing out? Come on." Arlong vanished again, and Hachi sighed before following.

Hachi followed Arlong to Nami's room, giving the rest of his report. Arlong didn't seem worried about the lack of progress so far, and seemed more interested in her schedule. But now he wanted to know about Nami. Was she back? Hachi knew she had gone scouting earlier.

Arlong opened the door to find Nami at her desk, focused on drawing a map. Spilt food laid on the floor, but Nami had left it there petulantly. Nami made no effort to turn to the door.

"Nami-chan, why the mess?" Arlong asked, sighing irritably.

"I didn't do it." Nami replied, shrugging. Her voice was just as irritable as Arlong's, and Hachi had to wonder if one of the crew was bullying her again.

"Oh? Then who did?" Arlong asked as he picked up the bowl and shoveled the food back into it. He tossed it into a wastebasket and didn't even give it a second glance.

"Does it matter?" Nami snapped back, but she stopped drawing when she heard Arlong's low growl. "Chew did it because I ripped his dumb shirt. I couldn't hold on with him swimming so fast. Of course it ripped!" She looked over at Arlong with a frown, and he could see slight bruises forming on her face. Chew must have slammed her and the food into the floor.

Arlong sighed. "I'll speak with him about it." Hachi grimaced. Chew wouldn't be happy with being lectured, and it would probably happen again. Just better hidden. "Hachi-nii, get Nami-chan some more food, please."

"Sure thing!" Hachi was relieved to exit that tense air. Once he was gone, Arlong stood behind Nami and watched her draw. She was nervous at the attention, but her hand never faltered. Her penmanship was so precise, even at such a young age, that it was remarkable. Nami drew swooping lines with practiced ease, and detailed things precisely.

Arlong hummed in appreciation. Nami would be so, so useful in their upcoming excursion. "Next time, I'll have your ride go slower. You'll be able to tell the currents and such better that way, won't you?"

Nami nodded wordlessly.

"Good. And that should prevent any more incidents." Arlong crossed his arms. He was displeased that someone had hurt their cartographer, and had tried to starve her. Nami needed her strength to be useful, and if anyone was going to deal out punishments, it would be him. And besides, Arlong had told everyone to treat her like a crewmate. She was one now, after all. Her blue tattoo was still puffy and healing, but she was an Arlong Pirate all the same.

Nami made a noncommittal noise. "I doubt it."

Arlong frowned at that. "Why do you say that, Nami-chan?"

Nami looked up from her drawing with a frown. "Even if I wanted to be a stupid pirate with you guys, they wouldn't stop. I'm a human, and you all hate me. They're gonna show it, even if you tell them not to." She grumbled with the most sincerest of spite.

Arlong hummed thoughtfully. He supposed he had been naive, if even a child her age knew they would be hateful. Idly, he thought back to Koala. It had taken months for the Sun Pirates to warm up to her, but even then, not everyone did. He certainly hadn't.

Perhaps it would be better to give it up. So long as she wasn't too badly injured and was fed properly, she could still work. And that was all that mattered.

Hachi knocked on the doorframe, and brought Arlong out of his thoughts. "Nami-chan, I brought you some fresh food, nyuu."

"Thanks, Hachi-san. Can you just leave it over there?" Nami pointed vaguely towards a table covered in paper. Arlong noted how nicely she spoke to Hachi, and how eagerly he placed the food where she asked. Perhaps having Hachi look over Nami as well would ensure productivity.

Hachi looked over at Nami's maps and smiled. "You really are the best cartographer I've ever seen." Nami grinned at the praise, and nodded eagerly.

"I'm gonna draw a map of the whole world someday!" Nami proclaimed happily. Arlong smirked. That was a good dream, and one he'd be happy to nurture, considering his ambitions. He ruffled her hair, causing Nami to still, and decided to leave.

"Keep doing good work, Nami-chan. Tell me when you've mapped everything so far, and we'll send you out again." Arlong said as he walked out. She worked better with no distractions, and he wanted her focused and her work pristine.

"Uh, okay, I will." Nami called back. Arlong heard her talk to Hachi, although her couldn't make out the words, and Hachi's laughter. The two did get along well, and there was no hatred from Hachi. Arlong remembered Koala for the second time. She and Hachi had also gotten along well, to the point where he had almost been her older brother. Perhaps Hachi's human-loving was useful after all. At the very least, he'd make a great babysitter.

* * *

Nami had heard that Arlong had gotten the Cocoyashi Hermit to join Arlong's pirates, and she had been upset. Nami had never really held a conversation with her, but she had seemed like a good person, even if she wasn't talkative. Certainly not the type to become a _pirate_.

Nami could still remember when the hermit first strolled into town, back when the cartographer was only seven. She had crossed town like she'd lived there her whole life, not appearing to be lost at all. Genzo had muttered his confusion about where she was from, but Bellemere told him she lived on the small island off the coast. Bellemere heard it from some fishermen who had visited the lonesome island, only to find it no longer deserted anymore. She'd lived there only a month, and was finally venturing into town.

The Cocoyashi Hermit had seemed so cool and confident, backpack slung over her shoulder, wearing a cute low-cut tanktop and cutoff shorts with shin-high hiking boots. Her hair was an unusual shade, like Nojiko's, and Nami and Nojiko both thought it was a really cute shade of pink. Nami and Nojiko had excitedly talked about how cool it would be to have pink hair, and how cute they would look if their hair was curly and long like hers.

Many shopkeepers had tried to talk to her, but she tunneled towards her destination without even sparing a glance at their wares. It only made Nojiko and Nami idolize her more.

One day, Nami worked up the courage to start up a conversation with her, and the hermit had actually _looked_ at her before walking away. She hadn't said anything, but Nami still felt like she had made a connection with her idol. She had excitedly talked about it for days until Bellemere had started crying theatrically, and had tearfully asked Nami if she still thought Bellemere was the coolest. Nami had frantically tried to calm her mother, until Bellemere revealed she was only playing.

Even though Nami had long-since stopped idolizing her, it still hurt to think that the hermit was more interested in working with _Arlong_ of all people instead of the villagers. She had actually agreed to join them. She even had the money to pay every month, but she would rather help Arlong than give it up!

Nami couldn't even imagine what a selfish witch the hermit had turned out to be. Nami had only agreed to join Arlong to spare the villagers. Because she couldn't stand to see any more bloodshed or death. Because she'd rather work herself to death and save her village through a nigh-impossible deal than let the rest of her family die. But the hermit wasn't even doing it out of self-preservation, but out of some twisted need for isolation that wasn't even being respected if Hachi was visiting every day.

With a heavy frown, Nami shook away the negative thoughts clouding her mind. She didn't have the energy to waste on someone besides Arlong.

The tower of books loomed ominously next to her desk, and Nami glowered at the thought of how much work it was going to be to translate all of them into something useable. The quality that Arlong demanded was high, but her own standards were higher. Arlong may ask for grueling tasks and harsh deadlines, but Nami intended to meet them with a smile. She would work for him. But she was never going to bow to him like the hermit would.

* * *

Aria stepped out of her bathtub, slowly and lazily, and sneezed. She sniffled and groaned, and tried to remember when she had last sneezed. It had been quite a while.

"Someone must be thinking nasty thoughts about me." She grumbled, and grabbed her brush off the vanity. Aria brushed her hair angrily and sniffled again. "Better not be some Cocoyashi kid."

She grabbed a fresh towel from the bathrack, and then recited chords as she patted herself dry.

* * *

When Arlong had told him that they would be splitting from the Sun Pirates, Chew had thought it was a joke, but he quickly realized that Arlong was serious.

When Arlong had told him that they would be building an empire in the East Blue for fishmen to reign over, Chew had thought it was a joke, but he quickly realized that Arlong was serious.

When Arlong had told him that they would be taking over a new island already, Chew had thought it was a joke, but once again he quickly realized that Arlong was serious.

Chew had to wonder just where Arlong's sense of self-preservation had gone. It had probably died with Fisher Tiger, he reasoned, because that's when his childhood friend decided to sail into even more dangerous waters than just the "shit, let's be pirates" recklessness that had gotten them neck-deep in even more trouble than usual at home.

But now he was stuck ferrying some human kid to the island Arlong was interested in, and Chew couldn't help but wonder why he of all people was getting stuck with this. The constant stop and go was getting on his nerves. The kid would jot down a bunch of notes and then shove them into a waterproof pouch before telling Chew to move on. Sure, it would be useful at the end of the day, but at the moment chaperoning Nami was the pits.

Chew was grateful that they had reached the East Blue. He had hoped that Jinbe or Tiger would make a name for themselves, and prove that humans and fishmen could live together.

It was a naive hope, Chew had realized after Tiger died. Humans couldn't be trusted, even if fishmen only had altruist motives. They really would take away any and all joy Chew found in life, if he let them. He had been so, so grateful when Arlong had been released from Impel Down, though he wished it hadn't caused such a split between Jinbe and Arlong.

But now they were here, in the East Blue. Arlong was committed to Chew's dream of forging a place for fishmen to live under the sun. And they were going to make humanity pay for their crimes against fishmen, even if that meant working with the brat and the hermit.

The brat wasn't too bad to deal with, but for some reason she reminded Chew of Koala, and that reminded him of Foolshout Island. It was a rough tumble of emotion every time he looked at her, and he hated having to escort her surveys as a result.

"Hey! Slow down! I can't monitor the currents if you keep going so fast!" Nami cried into his ears, and Chew winced.

He grumbled and slowed down enough that she could do her job, before going back to his thoughts.

Living on Fishman Island was impossible for him, after so many years of foul memories. He hadn't had it any worse than anyone else on the crew, but it had affected him harsher. It had become suffocating, waiting for humans to arrive and praying that they wouldn't be harmful. He had hated working at that shitty tavern with Arlong and Kuroobi. He hated having to fight off humans so that the younger kids in the Fishman District wouldn't become like Hachi. Being able to leave and become a Sun Pirate had been his greatest act of freedom, even though it had been reckless as hell, and it hadn't lasted long enough for his tastes.

But Chew was still under the sun, enjoying the sunbeams and the wind and the countless new experiences. Chew was still with his childhood nakama, the ones who had been through thick and thin with him. Chew was still free and with his family.

"You're going too fast again! Jeez!"

Remembering why and how he was here made moments like this a bit more bearable.

"Too fast!"

He still wished Arlong had been joking, though.

* * *

Three days passed, and nothing of note happened. Aria kept to her routine, only stopping to chat with Hachi. Arlong trained and prepared his men for their fight. Kuroobi helped. Hachi brought Nami her food every day like clockwork, and stopped by Aria's island just as periodically. Nami drew her maps, and was only a bit petulant when Arlong checked on her progress. Chew was still trying to be an ass to Nami, but he was no longer in charge of feeding her, so it was more difficult.

Today, however, would be eventful. It was the first time that Aria would have a progress check, and while Arlong knew it wouldn't be anything important, he couldn't help getting his hopes up.

Arlong flipped open the second, much better book that he received from Aria, and skimmed over the pages as he ate his breakfast. He had chosen the early morning periods before the workday began to read it, as he didn't have time until nightfall otherwise. He had dutifully read the much slimmer book (gratefully, as well, because this one didn't make his head throb in frustration at the untranslated jargon), and while he wasn't far, he still had many, many questions to ask Aria. The book was much easier to read and understand, even while it had been cluttered by Aria's notes in the margins. Arlong was amused to see that she had doodled in the book's cleavage repeatedly, and that some she had been embarrassed about to the point of heavily scratching out.

Arlong did find it annoying that the book had only so far talked about humans perceiving sounds, and was curious to see if she had any intention to broaden that now that she was working for him. Aria would have to, because Arlong didn't intend to let her not.

Arlong arrived at the island at noon. Her poorly written schedule had said she would be done with farmwork by then, and should be cleaning up before making lunch. Arlong idly wondered if he should bother asking if she wanted help taking care of her gardens, but remembered Nami's words and scowled.

As he walked into the clearing, Arlong saw that Aria wasn't in either greenhouse. He opened the house's front door without a shred of courtesy, but removed his shoes out of habit.

Arlong glanced upstairs towards the bathroom, and grumbled. She was in the bathroom still, as the door was shut. At least she wouldn't be filthy, Arlong reminded himself. Having nothing better to do, Arlong decided to snoop through her house again. She would realize he was here soon enough.

Arlong decided he wanted to test the screen door in the back again, and was disappointed when he found it locked. Inside the small visible area, nothing had changed. Boring.

Arlong checked the fridge, and found several vegetables in various states of preparation being stored. In one container was some diced onions, while another held julienne-sliced carrots, and a third held plain radishes. A large half-used jar of garlic stared back at Arlong, and he suddenly knew why Aria always smelt like the stuff. Grimacing, Arlong closed the fridge. Arlong opened the freezer and found ice, ice cream, and frozen meat of a mystery variety that was heavily freezer burnt. There was also a notebook, for some reason?

Arlong pulled out the notebook, hissing as the cold spires touched his palm, and opened it. Inside was a list of animals that had different sound perception abilities compared to humans. Fishmen were not on the list. Arlong flipped to the next page (after several attempts to pry the pages apart) and found that it had a half-filled shopping list. The rest of the notebook was blank. Arlong felt a little bit satisfied to know why it was in there, but was also concerned about how spacey Aria was.

Arlong tossed the notebook on the island to thaw, and decided to stare at one of Aria's many bookcases. Aria was taking a damn long time. He chose the bookcases in the living room to stare at, and was surprised that none were related to her field of study. Books on animals, plants, biology, math, and numerous other topics filled the bookcase. There were several on navigation, and which caused him to pause. One for the New World, one for Paradise, and one for the East Blue. Arlong ran his finger along the spine of _East Blue's Major Islands_ until he reached its end, and pulled it from its place with a ginger touch.

The book was dusty, but was well worn. The pages were dog-eared extensively, and upon opening it to a random page Arlong saw notes and underlining and circling. Arlong flipped through the book pensively, holding his breath until he found a map of the East Blue that was so shoddy it could hardly be called a navigational chart. A path had been drawn on the map, with islands circled and dotted lines until the scientist had settled on Conomi.

Arlong frowned at the picture, slowly realizing that Aria too had come through the Calm Belt to reach this sea. But how?

The bathroom door creaked loudly, and Arlong snapped towards the staircase. He relaxed when he remembered it was only Aria, but then stilled once more when the humming drifted down to him, and steadily grew closer. It held power, not much, but enough to cause unease.

Arlong closed the book, and tucked it into his pants, hidden under his loose shirt. He turned the corner to see Aria just reaching the final step. She frowned when she noticed him.

"Do you always enter people's homes unannounced?" She asked, a hint of irritation in her voice. Her eyes shone with amusement, though, and Arlong took no offense.

Arlong grinned, and decided he couldn't help but tease her back. "I didn't know hermits were considered people, Aria-chan."

Aria pursed her lips, but didn't rise to his bait. Instead she ignored him and walked towards the kitchen. She halted when she saw the notebook on the island. "Where did that come from...?" She muttered to herself, and Arlong snickered.

When Aria glanced over at him questioningly, Arlong said, "I rescued it from being freezer burnt."

Aria frowned and flipped it open. "Oh. I must have forgotten it." Her voice sounded distant. She flipped through the two filled pages, eyes distant as she remembered the notebook's original purpose.

Arlong scoffed. "Clearly." That snapped her back, and Aria adjusted the towel around her shoulders in discomfort.

"Are you here for something in particular, Arlong?"

Arlong strode over to Aria in four easy steps. He didn't miss the way she stiffened at his approach, nor the way she forced herself to look up at his face as he peered down at her, grin predator-like and eyes crinkled. "Of course, Aria-chan. I'm here for you."

She stared up at him with a frown. "What?" Her hand clenched around the towel, and Arlong couldn't resist bending down to her level and getting in her face.

"It's time for your progress report, dear."

Arlong didn't know her face could scrunch up any more, or how she could see with such narrow, squinting eyes. She was staring very fixedly at his nose, trying desperately not to look in his eyes while still making her displeasure known. Her expression relaxed after a few moments, and Arlong had to give her points for not backing down despite her obvious unease. "Just say that then, don't make it weird."

Arlong stood up straight and snorted, "Why not, Aria-chan? You're too fun to not tease." Aria's nose twitched in irritation.

"That wasn't _teasing_ , that was flirting." Aria shot back, and she shoved her hands into her short's pockets. The petulant look Arlong received reminded him of a teenager annoyed with her boss.

"Don't flatter yourself." Arlong said dryly, crossing his arms. "Even Nami-chan could tell the difference."

Aria shrugged. "If you say so, Arlong. But comparing me to some random person I've never met doesn't really make an impression."

"You're suppose to feel insulted, then. I'm comparing you to a child." Arlong drawled, speaking slower in an attempt to piss Aria off.

"Oh." Aria said simply, and she walked over to the fridge. "In that case, I won't make you lunch. Just some for me, then." She opened the fridge and peered inside.

"Good. You'd probably over-salt it or drown it in garlic." Aria gave him a pointed look as she pulled out the half-used jar of garlic.

"Did you snoop through my fridge, too?" She sighed, and placed it on the countertop.

Arlong didn't even pause at the accusation. "Maybe. But I don't need to snoop to smell how much garlic you use." Aria halted digging through her fridge at that, and gave him a curious look.

"You can smell it on me?"

"Unfortunately." Arlong leaned against the island, wondering what she was getting to.

She walked over to him, invading his personal space completely, and stood on her toes to reach his face. Arlong grimaced as she breathed on him. "Even now?"

"Not yet, thank god." He lightly shoved her away, and Aria hummed thoughtfully.

"I suppose I should eat lots to keep you from annoying me, then." Aria grinned up at Arlong slyly, and he glowered in return.

"Don't you fucking dare." She smirked, and returned to fixing her meal. A comfortable silence filled the kitchen. As it was the last time he visited, she prepared a lazy stir fry within twenty minutes. True to her word, she didn't fix Arlong a plate, but he didn't mind. He had eaten a quick lunch before he ventured over to her tiny island. Instead, he just sat back and watched as Aria poured the food onto a plate and then washed her skillet. Arlong thought it odd, but remembered the frozen notebook. If left alone for too long, the skillet could face a similar fate.

Aria ate quickly and quietly, for which Arlong was grateful. He didn't want to spend too long out here, and he also wanted to get down to business as soon as she was done.

Once she was finished, she washed the plate up, too, and set it next to the skillet to air dry. It was odd, how mechanical she had made the tasks seem, from cooking to eating to cleaning up. And the second Arlong had stopped verbally engaging Aria, it seemed as if she completely withdrew from him, becoming so absorbed in her routine that nothing else was even the slightest concern.

It was a stark difference from Nami, who even while focused on mapmaking was alert enough to detect changes in the weather.

"Aria-chan." Arlong called, and the effect of his voice caused Aria to halt her steps into the dining room. She blinked slowly, as if she was coming out of a trance, and surveyed Arlong as if she had forgotten he was there entirely.

"Yes?" Aria asked quietly. Arlong frowned. Did she completely forget why he was here?

"Progress report." He reminded gruffly, and pushed himself off the counter he was leaning on.

"Right..." She forgot. Arlong mentally sighed, and wondered if she would remain this spacey all day. It seemed like a complete contrast from the over-alertness she had shown the last time he had visited.

"Let's go upstairs. Show me what you've got so far." Arlong shoved her gently into motion as he walked past her. She was definitely more alert now, but she was waiting on him. Studying him, almost. She followed him upstairs silently, and Arlong decided he no longer liked when she was quiet. Her detachment unnerved him, and he couldn't place why.

Arlong pulled out the desk chair, motioning for her to sit.

Aria cocked a brow, and Arlong smirked in return. "What? I know how to treat a lady." He goaded, and it seemed to do the charm.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed." Aria muttered almost disdainfully, but Arlong saw the curve of her smirk as she sat down.

"You humans are so cruel to us." Arlong replied, with just as much feigned disdain. Aria snorted, and opened up several notebooks. Arlong hadn't expected much progress on their first project just yet, but Aria had dutifully sketched up potential prototype diagrams with surprising speed.

"So, so cruel. Helping you torment all those little ten year olds." Arlong pretended not to be amused by Aria's sarcasm. Instead, he placed a hand on Aria's bare shoulder, and bent down to get a closer look at the prototype diagrams. Aria bristled at his contact, and inhaled so sharply that the air whistled. Arlong pretended like he had not noticed.

"Hmm. Are you _sure_ you can build all that yourself, Aria-chan?" Arlong had already noted she had very little actual skill building walls and the like. At least, not walls that didn't appear hideous. While Arlong tried not to care too much about the aesthetics of weaponry, he couldn't help but worry that his men would show up to battle with clunky and ultimately ugly Aria-crafted weaponry. "We do have a few men who actually know how to work with these materials. You wouldn't need to learn about them from scratch."

Aria huffed at his doubt. Arlong was quickly picking up that she didn't like it when people questioned her abilities. "If they'll teach me, that's fine. But I need to know the basics about these materials so I can know how they'll mesh together. How the sound resonates inside is just as important as it resonating outside."

Arlong hummed thoughtfully. True, it would be better in the long run if she actually knew these sort of things. But Arlong wasn't fond of wasting materials just so that she could play with them and _maybe_ understand them. "I'll ask. But they might not have time to teach you until we visit Mata Nui."

Aria nodded. "That's fine. The materials won't be in until well after that." She hesitated, ever so briefly. Arlong could tell by the way she licked her lips, and stopped running her fingers along the edges of the papers. Arlong waited for her to just spit it out, but she resumed her fiddling with renewed fervor.

"I do have to ask where you were even planning to put all of this together, Aria-chan. These look large, and I do like the dining room table downstairs."

Aria's brow furrowed and she looked up at Arlong incredulously. "In my lab, of course. I'm not so messy as to let my tinkering spill out into the house." She sounded slightly offended, and it only made Arlong want to toy with her more.

"Ah." Arlong smirked down at her "Is that what's in that hideous building out back?"

Aria's nostrils flared in irritation, but she said nothing in retort. Instead, she crossed her arms and slouched in her chair and tried to stare directly up at Arlong's face. She looked quite petulant again. "Did you ever start reading that second book I gave you?"

Arlong's lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes. I'm sure you won't be wanting the first book back, however."

Aria gave him a coy smile. "I heard you got a couple chapters in. Your dedication is..." She pondered her word choice for a moment, before she finally settled on, "hilarious." It pissed him off, that she had decided to mock him for her petty request.

"Hmpfh. I knew you were screwing with me, so don't think you're so high and mighty, human." Arlong snarled, and withdrew his hand from her shoulder as if she had bit it, and crossed his arms. Aria seemed genuinely surprised at his reaction.

"Hachi did tell you what I said, didn't he?" She asked, quietly, almost apologetically.

"As if your opinion matters?" Arlong grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her hatefully.

Aria blinked slowly, and nodded to herself. "I suppose not." Arlong could see that he had caused her to withdraw, but he couldn't care less at the moment. "Well." She said, awkwardly and forcibly attempting to change the topic as she flipped through her notebook. "I've been doing a few experiments just with subjects that are less dense than a body."

Arlong peered over her again, but made no attempts to touch her. "What sort of subjects? Explain."

"Just things laying around. Fruit. Debris." She tapped on a chart she had neatly drawn, numerous scribbling results jotted down hastily, while other parts of the chart were immaculate. "Mostly I've been trying to find the point at which things start vibrating so intensely they explode."

Arlong raised a brow. "Explode? I thought the things you were working on could just cause pain, distractions, and hearing loss." The books she had given clearly mentioned that those were the most common side effects from loud enough sounds.

"Welllllll, yeah. But after a certain point things start being warped by sound. You find the right decibel or frequency for each type of material, you can find out how to change its structure, like heating things without any fire. If I made something big enough, you could probably do earthquakes on a small enough island." Aria hummed thoughtfully, tapping the page rhythmically. "Though that's a long way off. I'm sure you would like something that would warp a human's body first."

Arlong's ire melted away as Aria talked about decibels, frequencies, failed experiments and successful ones. He could envision his domination of the East Blue going so, so smoothly if she could manage to harness sound so portably. Despite her distant and brash nature, Aria's potential and drive made her so much more tolerable than other humans, especially when she suckered him into her long-winded excited lectures about sound potential. The way she talked about implementing her powers made Arlong shiver with ambition and greed, and Arlong couldn't wait to use her mind in a real fight.

Even if she was too weak and _human_ to be a real asset, he wanted to utilize her plans to strengthen his crew. He had suggested using those Sky Island shells to her, when they were outlining her research plans. Aria said there were too many unknown variables, and that she could probably create something much easier to obtain. Arlong had trusted her opinion, but ordered their courier to try and find some despite the fact. It would be a nice surprise, if they could actually manage to find some.

"You know just how to sweet-talk me, Aria-chan." Arlong purred as he went over her notes. Aria couldn't help but look away, uncomfortable with the praise and his mood change. They were both prone to abrupt mood swings, but she couldn't tell if he was being genuine with his praise or was playing with her.

"Do you have any plans to test the differences between humans and fishmen?" Arlong asked, looking at a decibel chart that was quantified by how humans were affected by the increased sounds.

"I'll have to draw some up. It wouldn't do you any good to use weaponry that hurt you, as well." Aria replied, standing up and stretching. She had been sitting slouched for too long, even more poorly postured than usual with Arlong hovering behind her. Arlong gave her an amused glance, and returned to studying her chart.

"Humans can only withstand 125 decibels before experiencing pain." Arlong read off, remembering the pain that Aria had caused him when he had first come to her island.

"Yeah. It doesn't seem like much, but that's a lot of noise." Aria flopped onto her bed, and stretched more languidly.

"How many decibels was the attack you used on me, Aria-chan?" Aria froze. She had completely forgotten about that, to be honest. Aria blinked, and tried to remember.

"...200 decibels?" Arlong looked pleased at her answer, but he was having comprehending just how loud that was now. "About the amount it would take to warp an apple's structure." She explained, more helpfully. Arlong tore his gaze from the notebook, suddenly deciding Aria was more interesting to study. Aria stared back lazily, and tried not to feel apprehensive about what Arlong was thinking.

"Show me." Arlong said, finally. Inwardly, Aria groaned. The bed was comfortable and she didn't want to get up. Reluctantly, she got up anyway.

"An apple or something more interesting?" Aria asked as she shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Anything. But I want to see your lab, too." Arlong made sure to emphasize his curiosity. Aria frowned. She hadn't intended to show him her lab until much, much later. Now she'd have to.

"Are you sure you want to go inside such an unstable place?" Aria asked, a playful smirk slipping onto her face. Maybe she could convince him otherwise with enough teasing.

"Don't play with me about this." Arlong said dryly, not even rising to her bait. He tossed her notebook back on her desk instead. Aria pursed her lips, but shrugged nonchalantly.

"Okay, then. Let's go." She went down the stairs quickly, and making sure to disappear from Arlong's sight so that she could grab the key from its hiding place. Arlong followed at a much more leisurely pace, and Aria was able to unlock the screen door before he even reached the kitchen.

"It's very strange that you would rather lock that door than the front." Arlong commented as she opened the door.

Aria shrugged, and walked into the entry hall of the lab. "I'm the only one on the island. Hopefully a thief would find something of interest elsewhere in the house before they got here."

"And what is so important in here?"

"Don't ruin the surprise." Aria replied, and opened the lab door and briskly walked inside, holding it open for Arlong. He raised a brow at the action. "It locks upon closure. It's water-tight, air-tight, whatever. Don't get locked in or out." She explained as he walked inside.

Arlong blinked at the new surroundings. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. The room was long and rectangular, with dim lights that flickered on with a flip of a switch. The floors were made of Sea-Stone. The inner walls were made of Sea-Stone. The only thing not made of Sea-Stone was the ceiling, which was crudely made out of wood and was covered in countless electrical wires that ran up and down like a haphazard spider's web, connecting to every florescent light.

The air was stale, and it smelled of sea and salt and steel. Arlong felt like opening the door again, just to get some more fresh air in. Already, machine parts laid strewn across several workbenches and tables, with several devices half-made and half-dismantled. Proper blueprints, not the ones Aria had scribbled on notebook paper, were taped to the walls. One corner of the room was dedicated solely to various musical instruments, some of which Arlong had no name for. Various tools laid spread about, covered every table but one. The sole clear table had a basket full of fruit on it, along with some forgotten goggles.

"Not as illustrious as I'd like, but I do what I can." Aria said when she noticed Arlong's speechlessness.

"Your lab is filled with _Sea-Stone_." Arlong said, breathlessly. Arlong remembered how pissed off he had been that Aria was a Logia user, and that he had no access to Sea-Stone just yet besides the single ring that he'd managed to overpower Aria with. To know that her lab, of all places, was filled the stuff made him feel incredibly foolish.

"Of course. I can't risk accidently destroying anything else on the island." Aria explained as she opened a locker that sat in the corner. She pulled out some boots, and Arlong saw that she was barefoot and nakedly touching Sea-Stone. No wonder she had seemed uncomfortable at the idea of showing him her lab. "It's indestructible, no matter how many decibels I pump into it and how many frequencies I try. So it makes the perfect sound-proof room."

"You hauled all this from the Grand Line?" Arlong's eyes narrowed suspiciously. While he had expected her to have some Sea-Stone to avoid the Sea Kings, this amount was just ludicrous.

Aria put on her boots nonchalantly and tied them up. "I had help. It's not like I did all of this myself."

"No, of course not." Arlong snorted. Help from _who_? The questions never stopped.

"Well, let's get this demonstration over with, shall we?" Aria ignored his scrutiny by feigning disinterest. It didn't seem to be working, because Arlong was suddenly very close to her.

"You have too many secrets for my liking, human." Arlong growled into her ear, grabbing her arm tightly, and Aria couldn't help but bite her lip in anxiety. "None of them had better bite me in the ass."

"They won't." Aria assured, and tried to pull her arm from Arlong's grasp. He caught her chin instead, and forced her to look at him.

"I want to keep you safe and sound, Aria-chan, and that means you're going to have to spill some of them." Arlong purred dangerously, and Aria couldn't help but shiver. Arlong's pupils had narrowed into dangerous slits, and he was radiating a bloodlust similar to the one he had held when they first met. She wanted to take a step back, to increase the space between them, but she knew it would be impossible with his strength.

"I am. Just not all at once." Aria breathed shakily, and Arlong studied her face for traces of deceit. The stared at each other, Aria not even daring to breathe. Eventually Arlong decided her answer had appeased him enough. He released her chin and her arm, and Aria immediately slid her hand against the roughly-treated skin. She was going to have yet another bruise.

"That's fine. As long as I know all of them eventually." Arlong turned to the table. He studied the fruit, and picked up a tangerine with an amused smirk. "I want you to try and destroy this, please."

Arlong pressed the fruit into her palm, and he seemed so self-amused that Aria couldn't help but wonder what joke she was missing out on.

"Okay." Aria agreed, not wanting to further his ire. She held the tangerine in one hand, and hovered her other palm over the fruit. "Aural 200." She whispered, and called upon her power.

The orange was crushed and shredded a millisecond later. The juice spilt over her hands, but otherwise, there was no other proof that it had ever been there in the first place.

Arlong grinned toothily at her display, and he sudden pulled her into a side-hug, with only half a mind not to get any juice on him. Aria yelped at the unexpected tug, but Arlong paid it no mind. "Shahaha! Wonderful! I can't wait to see what destruction you'll be able to do at Mata Nui!" Arlong praised without an ounce of restraint.

"Y-yeah." Aria muttered, unable to think of a proper response as she nodded against Arlong's side. It had been such a long time since anyone had shown her such affection that she didn't know what to do. Arlong released her, but still beamed down at her. His smile looked so genuine that it threw Aria further off-guard.

"Anything you want, Aria-chan! So long as you keep making me pleased like this, I'll give you anything you want! Shahaha!"

"O-okay." Aria nodded dumbly. He had promised the same thing last week, but then it had seemed like he was mocking her. Now it seemed more truthful. Despite that, Aria still felt uneasy about believing it.

Arlong continued to excitedly praise her for a few more moments as Aria washed the fruit juice off her hands in the kitchen, before he remembered something. "Oh, Aria-chan. Have you decided where you were going to put your tattoo?"

Aria looked over at Arlong in confusion. "Tattoo?" She tried not to show any displeasure at the idea. Was she to be branded again?

Arlong frowned. "Hachi didn't tell you that you'd be receiving my mark to become a full crew mate?"

Aria shook her head. "I didn't even know you had a crew tattoo." She studied Arlong, searching for his, and her eyes settled on the sun tattoo. That couldn't be it, could it? She remembered that tattoo from a different band of pirates.

Arlong grumbled something under his breath, before ordering, "Decide where you want it within the next week. You'll be receiving it the week after."

Now it was Aria's turn to frown. "How am I supposed to decide when I don't even know what it looks like?"

Arlong pulled up the sleeve of his jacket, revealing his tattoo. "This is my jolly roger." Aria walked over and inspected the tattoo. It was done with a needle, and not a hot iron like the one on his chest clearly had been. Gingerly, she touched Arlong's arm, and ran her hands against the inked forearm.

Arlong had been relaxed until she physically touched him, and had been intently studying her to determine if she was opposed at all to receiving the tattoo. Initially, there had been a flicker of unease across her face, but it was quickly replaced by curiosity. Now, he was waiting with apprehension. She had only touched him twice before, both out of anger, but this time there was only tenderness and curiosity. He could feel the slight callouses on her hands from her farmwork, and her lithe fingers felt icy against his bared skin.

"I'll think about where I want it." She murmured quietly, before taking her hands back. "Although I'm not sure how well the ink will go with my skin."

"Fishmen tattooes don't have as much difficulty with skin tones as your pitiful human ink." Arlong reassured, voice much quieter than he expected it to be. "And it doesn't have to be red. Any color."

Aria smiled softly, and looked up at Arlong with a mischievous look in her eye. "Even pink?"

Arlong frowned, but nodded. "Even pink."

Aria tapped a finger to her lip thoughtfully. "Who does the tattooes, anyway? Is there a guy who's pirate job is to be your tattooer?"

"The only tattoo I haven't done myself is my own." Arlong answered haughtily, and he reveled in her surprise. "It will take three to four hours, depending on the location and how much pain you can handle. So if you want a pink mark, Aria-chan, I'll gladly give you one." He pulled down his sleeve and grinned down at her arrogantly.

"...I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Aria replied dryly. She glanced over at the clock idly, and frowned. "Shit, now I'm behind. I didn't figure this would take so long." Arlong checked the clock, too, and was surprised by how much time had passed. It had been nearly four hours. Still, Arlong couldn't help but laugh at the dark look that passed over Aria's features. She seemed far more concerned than he was about her schedule, and that pleased him.

"Don't worry about it. You've impressed me well enough to last." Arlong clapped her non-bruised shoulder appreciatively. "I'll see you next week, Aria-chan." Arlong promised, without malice, and he headed towards the door.

"You don't want dinner?" Aria asked, arms crossed, and Arlong waved dismissively.

"Maybe next time you can over-season my food." Arlong snickered as he put on his shoes. Aria gave him an unamused look.

"See you next week." She called as he left, and Arlong didn't bother to reply. It wasn't until he was almost back at Arlong Park that he realized he never got clarification on the questions he had.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Sighing, she crossed her arms and leaned against the sink's vanity. "Didn't your mom ever teach you about any of this?"

That was the wrong thing to say, because Nami gave her the most hateful glare she'd seen since Arlong first knocked on her door. "Of course she didn't, Arlong killed her before she had the chance."

* * *

AN: There's a little detail of cultural differences between the islands and between fishmen/humans that I haven't had a chance to include in the story, and probably won't be able to get to for quite a while. Aria doesn't use suffixes when speaking to people at all, nor does anyone from AA. Nami and the fishmen DO use suffixes, but Cocoyashi has a more western-style culture compared to the fishmen's eastern-style, which is where the bowing thing came in handy. It's considered pretty rude to not use suffixes unless you're nakama or something, but everyone brushes off Aria's disuses as her just being her usual brash & socially-inept self.

Y'all get two chapters this week because I got my first review on Hellbent and I'm so happy...!


	7. Fallen Idols

Chapter 7: Fallen Idols

* * *

It hadn't even been a week yet when Arlong trudged back to the island, carrying a bleeding and generally moody Nami with him. Nami was being _extremely_ difficult, and wouldn't even tell him where she was injured, only that she would only talk to a human woman about it, and that it was urgent. Arlong had never seen a child be so petulant, stubborn, and clammed up about something before, and it was putting him in a pissy mood.

Nami trudged behind Arlong with the sourest of frowns on her face, arms crossed and legs so clenched it was a miracle she could walk without tripping. Arlong was just happy she was keeping up. She glanced around the island curiously, but asked no questions even when they reached the clearing.

The island was surprisingly chilly and foggy today. It was about nine in the morning, and Aria was tending to her greenhouses. Once again she was wearing those leopard-print pajama pants and a tank top, hair in a messy bun and slouching lazily as she watered her crops. Nami shivered upon reaching the greenhouse, and Arlong almost chided her for not dressing warmer but thought better of it. Her human-made clothes weren't made with rapid drying in mind.

Arlong didn't miss how Nami's frown changed when she spotted Aria, which struck him as odd. Was she nervous or something? Nami clearly had never interacted with the hermit before, so it made no sense for her to dislike the woman. But he shrugged it off, and opened the greenhouse's door. The squeaky hinge startled Aria into jerking towards the door, spilling water from her can as she swung it.

"Morning, Aria-chan." Arlong greeted gruffly, and leaned against the doorframe. Aria's surprise morphed into a mask of indifference.

"Morning. You startled me, Arlong." Aria grumbled, but she walked towards him instead of returning to her garden as he expected her to. "I wasn't expecting you back until Wednesday." She set the watering can down next to a stone sink and began cleaning the grime off her hands.

"Me neither. But Nami-chan is injured and won't let me just take her to Kakuzu-nii." Arlong pointed towards Nami, who was currently glaring off into the woods like she wasn't the one who had forced him to take her here.

Aria frowned, and gave him an incredulous look. "Injured? I'm not a doctor." She huffed as she finished drying her hands.

Arlong shrugged nonchalantly. "She won't tell me what's wrong. Only wants to talk to a human woman about it." Aria could tell the fact that Nami was refusing to see their doctor was grating on Arlong's nerves, and she suspected it was because of Arlong's human-superiority hatred. But that was an odd request, especially if she wouldn't tell him what's wrong.

Aria looked over at Nami. Her short orange hair was still reasonably lustrous, if burdened with a terrible bed-head, and her skin wasn't clammy (that she could tell, she didn't know what the girl looked like normally after all), and there weren't any visible cuts on the girl. There were some nasty bruises healing on her face, but they were too old to be the issue. As Aria inspected the girl, she couldn't help but note the swirling blue shark tattoo on the back of her arm, and her eyes narrowed. Aria knew Arlong had convinced Nami to join his crew like he had her, but to brand her at such a young age was a poor mark on his already less than stellar character. Combined with the bruises, it was no wonder she looked at Arlong so spitefully.

Aria sighed, and pushed the thoughts from her mind. "Well, I'll give her a look, and I'll tell you what the issue is, I guess."

Arlong nodded wordlessly, and watched as Aria approached Nami hesitantly.

"Uh. Nami, was it?" Aria asked, trying to goad Nami into a conversation. Arlong couldn't help but grimace. He knew Aria was terrible at socializing, but that was pitiful. Nami scowled up at Aria, arms still crossed and legs still clenched, but nodded anyway. "Right. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Nami bit the inside of her cheek. "No." She huffed. "But I need to. Away from _him_." Arlong scowled, but waved his hand in acceptance when Aria looked towards him.

"Okay. We can go inside, then." Nami nodded, and slowly trudged behind Aria towards the house at a pace much slower than Arlong liked. When they finally disappeared, Arlong let out a sigh of relief. That had gone much smoother than he anticipated. Nami and Aria were both difficult at times, and they both had the trait of hating to ask for his help and stepping outside their boundaries. With Nami, it was understandable, but with Aria, it was obnoxious.

Arlong had enough experience to know that because it had gone so smoothly, something unfortunate was going to happen as a result. The thought soured his mood, so he decided to snoop around Aria's garden. It was not very interesting, for Arlong saw no appeal in studying flora, and he quickly found himself growling in impatience. Arlong stalked over to the porch and peered inside the windows. Aria and Nami were nowhere to be seen, which probably meant they were upstairs.

Arlong went inside and perused Aria's bookcases again, until he found something to distract himself from waiting.

Up in the bathroom, Aria had quickly found out where Nami was 'injured.'

Sighing, she crossed her arms and leaned against the sink's vanity. "Didn't your mom ever teach you about any of this?"

That was the wrong thing to say, because Nami gave her the most hateful glare she'd seen since Arlong first knocked on her door. "Of course she didn't, Arlong _killed_ her before she had the chance."

Aria glanced away, grunting in embarrassment. "Sorry." She muttered. Nami's frown lessened fractionally.

"...I know it's not your fault. But I wish you were like the other villagers." Nami sighed heavily. "Not working with Arlong."

Aria's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why does that matter?"

Nami clenched her tattooed arm tightly. "You'll be like me soon. Arlong's property. He'll call you his mate, but you're just his property." Nami spat out bitterly.

Aria stared at the little girl, and wondered how much she hated life. Then she shrugged the thought off, trying hard to make it look nonchalant. "...I'm already property, so gaining another owner doesn't really bother me much."

"Why not?" Nami asked with a surprising amount of naive curiosity that contrasted heavily with the spite Aria had grown accustomed to. Then she shook her head furiously. "...No, never mind. You'd probably just say something mysterious and hermit-like. I don't care anymore. Just tell me how to fix what's wrong right now."

Aria snorted in amusement. "Just because I'm a hermit doesn't mean I speak in riddles." She pushed herself off the sink, and dug through some drawers. "I can't _fix_ what you're going through. It will end naturally by itself when it feels like it." She handed Nami two boxes covered in disgustingly cute floral prints. "Use these in the meantime to be sanitary."

Nami frowned at the boxes. "You just said you don't do riddles!"

Aria rolled her eyes. This was hardly a confusing concept, but children were just so bad at accepting things. "Every month you'll go through this again. It'll last about a week. Since this is your first time, it may last longer. Congrats on the puberty."

Nami gaped at the information, and shrieked, "Every month?! For a week?! Am I cursed or something?"

Aria groaned into her palm. She had _just told her_ it was puberty. "No. It's puberty. It's part of growing up for women."

"Whaaaaat? I don't understand this at all." Nami groaned back. "And how am I supposed to use these?"

"There's an instruction booklet inside. Read it." Aria replied, and pointed to the door. "I'm gonna go see if I can find a book to explain this to you. I'm not a biologist. Take a bath or a shower or whatever and I'll clean your clothes."

Nami scowled, but nodded. She undressed and shoved the dirty clothes into Aria's arms, who couldn't help but grimace. The mess wasn't too bad, but Aria was glad she had rubber work gloves all the same. "...Thanks. You're not too bad, for one of Arlong's men."

Aria didn't know what to say to that, so she opted to say nothing at all. Instead she slipped out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen. As she was drenching the worst of the clothes in soap and cold water, Arlong grabbed her shoulder.

Aria jerked in surprise, but kept herself from yelping. "...Yes?" Arlong looked down at the bloody clothes in the sink and grimaced. He sighed and closed his eyes, and Aria couldn't help noticing how tense he was.

"What's wrong with her?" Arlong asked stiffly. He was concerned about Nami, and Aria found that to be amusing. The racist fishman caring about the human girl he orphaned just seemed too weird. Especially when he was worrying about essentially nothing.

Snorting at the hilarity of the situation, she replied, "Nothing at all. She's just going through puberty."

Arlong's brows shot up in surprise. "...What? Humans get wounded during their puberty?" Arlong's voice raised an octave, and Aria couldn't stop the smirk that slipped onto her face.

"Menstruation. It's not so much _being wounded_ as it is an organ shedding it's lining." Arlong made a disgusted face. "Don't fishwomen do the same thing?"

"Of course not." Arlong replied, crossing his arms briskly. Aria wondered if she offended him slightly, but then decided she didn't care.

"Well that's interesting to know. Anyway, Nami-chan will be dealing with this about once a month for a week until she's forty." Arlong balked at the information. Geez. It was almost as bad as explaining it to an actual child. Aria tried to focus on cleaning Nami's clothes before the stains set, but she wanted to keep watching Arlong's reactions. She'd be laughing all day about this.

"You're shitting me."

Aria tried really hard not to snicker, but it didn't help. Arlong frowned in disapproval. "...Sorry, but no, I'm not. I gave her some things to help be sanitary about it, at least. But she might need pain medication or tea or something."

" 'Pain medication or tea or something?' " Arlong repeated, mockingly. "Are you issuing herbal remedies now, hermit?"

"No, it's just that there's nothing that works for every woman's cramps. She's just gonna have to try a bunch of shit until she finds out what works for her body." Aria replied dryly. Arlong considered that quietly for a few moments.

"What works for you?" Aria blinked at the question, and turned to look up Arlong. He had a serious expression on his face, and Aria was surprised that he was interested at all.

"...Well, that stuff you tried to blackmail me with helps. And chamomile or fennel tea."

Arlong nodded. "Do you have any books on this?"

"I was going to check after I finished this." Aria replied, turning back to the sink and scrubbing furiously.

"Where would they be?" Aria blinked. Arlong was being surprisingly helpful.

"Probably in the living room." Arlong left to go look, an appreciative clap on her shoulder being his only response. Aria sighed once he was out of hearing range. Today was disruptive. She wanted to finish her chores and go do some research. Instead she was cleaning and playing with pirates.

Aria was going to be a pirate soon. Aria growled at the thought, and scrubbed viciously. The stains were leaving quick, and soon Aria had nothing to vent her frustration out on. She sighed, and wrung the clothing. They were going to stay damp for a while, but they weren't wet enough to toss in the dryer.

Aria hung them outside to dry, and went to go find something for Nami to wear. Perhaps she could use one of Aria's shirts as a dress? She peeked into the living room and found Arlong flipping through a book roughly. Several other books laid out in disarray, making a small pile on the couch. Arlong huffed and grumbled something under his breath, before tossing the book on the couch and pulling out another. Aria smirked and darted upstairs. Arlong was a bit cute when he was frustrated and worrying about someone.

She paused by the bathroom door, listening for Nami. Aria was surprised to hear her humming and playing, and couldn't help feeling grateful that she still had some innocence after Arlong had killed her mother. Aria slipped into her room, and dug through her dresser. Most of the clothes were tailored for Aria's frame, and would fit Nami terribly. But there was one shirt in particular that could work for Nami.

Aria found it at the bottom of the bottom drawer, tucked in the very back. It was a white t-shirt, with navy blue stripes. It still wouldn't fit Nami perfectly, but it would do. Aria tossed it on the bed, and remembered that the people who lived here before her had left some children's clothes. Hopefully they had left some shorts, too.

As she stomped down the stairs, Aria heard Arlong grumble that she sounded like an elephant. She took back her earlier mental compliment.

It didn't take Aria long to find some pants, although she felt as if she was stealing from a child as she took them. But she was giving them to another child, she reasoned, so it was okay. A child who might be pruning from spending too much time in the tub.

Aria knocked on the bathroom door and then slid the clothing onto the vanity. "Thanks!" Nami cheered, and climbed out of the bathtub with more effort than necessary. Water splashed everywhere, and Aria hoped it wouldn't puddle. Nami changed into the clothes in private while Aria joined Arlong in the living room.

"I can't find this damn book." Arlong grumbled when he noticed Aria's presence. It was really grating on his last few strings of patience. "You have too many."

Aria snickered, and skimmed along the titles of the books, trying to jog her memory on what the particular book was called. A few moments later and it came to her right as she passed over it. "This one." She slipped in between Arlong and the bookcase and pulled the book out, grimacing at the cover. "Just as hideous as I remembered." It had a poorly drawn cover of a woman looking wistfully over a cliff. It was in poor taste, considering the book was titled "Womanhood and Its Pressures."

Arlong looked similarly disgusted as he glanced over it. "That looks awful."

"It is. I'm glad to be rid of it." Aria replied, and tossed it at him. "I'm going to go finish up in the greenhouse. In the cupboard above the sink there's tea bags. Nami will need them."

Arlong sneered at the unspoken order, but nodded. He had already taken up enough of her time as it was, pushing her farther behind schedule. These little things would add up, and far too quickly.

Arlong rummaged through the fridge while he waiting for the water to boil in the kettle, and was surprised to see that there was now cans of beer inside. It was questionable. He helped himself to one, despite their suspicious appearance. A few moments later, and Arlong heard Nami emerge from the bathroom and call for Aria. When there was no response, Nami thumped down the stairs as loudly as Aria had earlier.

Arlong grabbed the book off the counter and handed it to Nami when she finally stepped into the kitchen, and frowned at the sopping wet child. "Didn't you ever learn to use a towel?" Arlong sighed. These humans were such savages.

Nami shrugged nonchalantly. "We're going back into the water soon, so why bother?"

Arlong made an annoyed noise, but couldn't help but agree. It just bothered him to see her track water through the house like a dog that hadn't been housetrained. The kettle whistled loudly, and Nami jumped in surprise.

Arlong rummaged through Aria's cabinets and was surprised at how tidy they were kept. He found a mug that had a cheeky phrase on it and placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Nami. "Aria-chan said this might help with your...condition. Drink it." He said, voice terse.

As Nami took her first sip, Aria returned. "Bleh, this tastes _awful_!" Nami cried, sticking her tongue out.

Aria snorted as she entered the kitchen, and raised a brow at the beer in Arlong's hand. Arlong caught her look, and leaned against the counter as he took a long, slow sip. "It tastes much worse when cold, so drink it fast." Nami grimaced, but resolutely resigned herself to drinking the tea.

"I thought you weren't intending to leave the island without Hachi, Aria-chan?" Arlong asked casually, like he was asking about the weather. It helped that he kept smirking at Nami's faces of disgust.

Aria made a noncommittal noise as she dug through the fridge. "I'm certainly not going to go anywhere in my boat with your pets hanging about." She said when she finally retrieved what she'd been searching for. Carrots.

Arlong shot her a wry look and motioned towards the beer in his hand.

Aria pursed her lips. "Hachi brought that over. Said I should develop a tolerance for alcohol, since apparently you all party like it's going out of fashion."

"How nice of him." Arlong said, tone clipped. Aria's brows knitted together in annoyance, and she crossed her arms.

"You wouldn't even know that wasn't mine if you weren't such a creep." Aria shot back with an annoyed huff. Nami gave a sharp laugh that she quickly stifled when Arlong glared at her.

"I have plenty of reason to distrust you, Aria-chan." Arlong reminded. Aria snorted, and scratched at her bruised neck. Nami frowned in sympathy, and Aria made a point to avoid looking at her similarly bruised face.

"Well, I'm glad the feeling is mutual. How long are you intending to stay today?" She said it so cool and icy that Arlong grinned with malice.

"Not much longer. Wouldn't want you to get behind."

Aria nodded. "Good. I'm going upstairs to work."

Nami finished the last of her tea, and Arlong dragged her back to the compound as soon as they gathered all of her clothing. But not without stealing Aria's other navigation books first.

* * *

Despite Nami's disapproval of the hermit and her vow to no longer idolize her, she still couldn't help but grin when she caught sight of the shirt Aria had lent her.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Aria groaned into her palms when Hachi had told her about all the parties Arlong liked to throw weeks prior, and now that there was going to be one where she was going to be forced to attend as the guest of honor she wanted to do anything but leave her safe isolated island. Social recluses did not get parties, but no matter how many times she brought that up to Arlong he merely smiled thinly.

* * *

AN: Writing Aria and Nami's relationship is difficult bc Nami has spent so many years looking up to 'the hermit' but she can't stand the fact that Aria will so willingly work for Arlong and will so callously ignore the villager's plight, meanwhile Aria just...really doesn't want to interact with anyone, and has so little patience for kids that it's only because of Arlong that she's paying any attention to Nami at all.


	8. Pretty in Pink

**Chapter 8:** Pretty in Pink

* * *

"So why are you a pirate?"

The question made Hachi blink. The blunt, straight-forward question came completely out of the blue. Aria had never asked him about himself, despite the fact he'd been over every day for the last three weeks. It wasn't like he never divulged information about himself - quite the opposite, really - but Aria had never asked a personal question. She had accepted him as part of her daily routine, made sure to leave food out for him, would stop what she was doing and chat with him for a bit, and would answer his probing questions with only a mild amount of annoyance. Even though he gave her plenty of opportunity to dig for information back, she never took the bait.

Now that she had, it felt strange. The question felt like a trap. Like depending on how Hachi answered, Aria might react harshly. Especially since Aria was going to be officially initiated within the week.

It wasn't even a hard question. The answer was easy.

Hachi gave Aria the brightest smile he could. "Because Arlong asked me to."

Aria cocked her head, brows knitted in confusion. "What?"

Hachi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head with one of his many arms. "It was way back when we were kids, still back on Fishman Island. Arlong got the bright idea to go be pirates, and got a couple others to join us. We didn't actually ever leave Fishman Island for a few more years, but it was a lot of fun."

Aria looked surprised at the answer. "You've known Arlong since you were a kid?"

"Yeah, we practically grew up together." Hachi smiled fondly as he remembered the shit they use to get into, picking fights with human visitors and getting drunk. Of course, that wasn't much different than what they did normally, but it seemed so much more _fun_ then. Exciting, dangerous, carefree.

"Was he always so obsessed with taking over the world?" Aria asked dryly, and leaned against the kitchen counter, head propped up with her palm.

Hachi frowned. "I..." Hachi crossed his arms and sighed, and collected his thoughts. "No, that's more of a recent thing. It's hard to talk about, and I'm not sure Arlong would appreciate me telling you about it." It had been a few months since Jinbe got Arlong released from Impel Down. Since Arlong had the fight with Jinbe that tore the Sun Pirates apart. Since they had left the Grand Line. Since Arlong had announced they'd be taking over the East Blue, and then the world. Arlong had always been a lofty dreamer, always been charismatic with his goals, always been so damn sure of himself that you couldn't help but follow him.

But Arlong was bitter and broken now, like Hachi had been when he'd run from the Celestial Dragons, only to find out he was no longer welcome at his only home. Arlong's goals were because he was still angry, still hateful, still refusing to heal from Fisher Tiger's death and Jinbe's new title. While Hachi wanted to help Arlong, telling Aria of his wounds would probably be akin to rubbing salt into them.

Aria blinked slowly, analyzing Hachi's reply the way she did all of the information he told her. Hachi was worried she might press him for more information, but instead she closed her eyes and nodded. "That's fine. I'm not even a member of your group yet, anyway."

Hachi frowned. That wasn't the reason why he wasn't telling her. "It's not because you're not nakama. It's because it's better for Arlong to tell you himself." Aria hummed thoughtfully, and she nodded again.

"Okay. Nakama? What is that suppose to be, exactly?" Hachi's frown deepened. How could she not know what nakama was?

"Nakama are your closest companions. Your dearest friends. People you'd lay your life down for, no matter what. They're special, important." Hachi explained, trying his hardest to express just how important they were. "You don't get to choose your nakama. It just happens. But the bond it forms is...it makes life so much better. Worth living." Even during his darkest days, Hachi knew that once he got back to his nakama, all the suffering he went through to survive and see them again would be worth it.

Aria looked surprised. "Really? You feel like that for Arlong?"

Hachi grinned and nodded. Aria was completely taken aback by his impromptu speech, but in a good way. She seemed awed, almost. "Yeah. Haven't you ever felt something like that?"

Aria frowned, suddenly pensive. "...No, not really." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It must be nice, having nakama. I've never really been able to connect with anyone, let alone like that."

"Well, hopefully you can with us, Aria-chan." Hachi grinned so wide his face hurt when Aria gave a ghost of a genuine smile. "Arlong's really not so bad, once you get to know him. He can be kind of a dick at times, but honestly, anyone who's gone through the shit he has would be too."

Aria hummed. "If you say so, Hachi." Hachi didn't miss the way she squeezed her shoulder, the one Arlong had bruised. There was nothing there now, but Hachi knew the memory wouldn't disappear as easily. He couldn't decide if he should sigh about Arlong's brashness, or make a joke to alleviate Aria's mood a little. So he decided to go with his third option, which was to offer Aria help around her island. After all, it was easier to become nakama if you were always willing to lend a hand (or six) to a friend.

* * *

The next few days passed without incident, and soon it was the day Aria intended to go to the mainland. However, Arlong couldn't help usurping all of her plans, as usual.

It started when it wasn't just Hachi who showed up that morning, but Arlong himself. Then he had the gall to tell her she would be spending the week on Conomi at their compound, instead of just spending the day gathering supplies on the very day she was visiting. He wanted to train her and make sure everyone knew who she was before she fought with them for control of Mata Nui, or some other bullshit excuse. And he still expected her to be making progress on her research, along with all the other fun activities he had planned.

Said activities included getting a tattoo and having a welcoming party.

Aria groaned into her palms when Hachi had told her about all the parties Arlong liked to throw weeks prior, and now that there was going to be one where she was going to be forced to attend as the guest of honor she wanted to do anything but leave her safe isolated island. Social recluses did not get parties, but no matter how many times she brought that up to Arlong he merely smiled thinly.

It was bad enough that she had to actually interact with her new crew. But to get drunk and to act like she was happy to join them, like she was happy to have them intruding on her life? Aria hated the very thought of having to restructure her life to include Arlong and Hachi, let alone the entire Arlong Pirates. The very thought of spending more than a few hours with them had her sitting on the floor of her bedroom, idly tracing the spines of several research books as she tried to will herself not to vomit.

Arlong had found her spacing out and had growled at her to quit messing around, but she had been too engrossed in fearful daydreams to really hear him, and so she had been roughly yanked up to meet him. "Get ready and quit mucking around. I don't have all day." Arlong had growled, eyes narrowed and annoyed.

"S-sorry." She had muttered, and bit her lip to try and distract herself from the nagging anxiety. "There's going to be too many people."

Arlong gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"Never mind." Aria shook her head, and returned to packing her books into a bag.

"No. Tell me." Arlong loomed over her imposingly, but his scowl wasn't as intense as it had been moments before. When Aria ignored him, he pursed his lips and tried another method. "I won't nag you about all your little secrets for a while if you'll give this up."

Aria blinked at the proposition, and stopped packing to look at him with furrowed brows. "Why do you care?" She said not harshly, not in annoyance, but with genuine confusion.

"If you have that many issues with fishmen, I need to know." Arlong said, simply. "Before I even think of letting you actually join my ranks."

Aria frowned. "It has nothing to do with race. Social situations are exhausting."

Arlong snorted, and leaned against Aria's dresser, propping himself up with his fist against his face. "It can't be that simple. Don't even try and fool me."

"I'm a hermit who has lived alone for the last three years and only interacted with people once every three months before you showed up." Aria shoved clothing that needed alterations into a separate bag aggressively. "People are exhausting. You're exhausting. The thought of dealing with an entire crew of people who are probably going to be as rude as you is nerve-wracking. Let alone the fact that they're going to hate me for some stupid petty race shit." Aria was growling as she packed, and she realized her anxiety was now presenting itself as rage. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, with little success. When she finally met Arlong's eyes again, he was looking at her thoughtfully.

"What?" She asked as she tossed her bags over her shoulder.

Truth be told, it wasn't uncommon for fishmen to have the same mental issues as humans. In the Fishman District, it was extremely common, because of all the poverty and danger. Arlong's sister had especially struggled with mental illnesses like social anxiety, because of the abandonment of their shared father and Arlong's own tendency to disappear for days at a time alongside the nigh-constant fear of potentially being sold into slavery simply for being born a mermaid. And bringing her oracle-like abilities into account only made things worse. While it hadn't shown up to be this extreme, Shyarly had the same social anxieties and avoidant tendencies that Aria was displaying. It wasn't uncommon for her to disappear from groups, only for Arlong to find her sitting alone in the dark, wrapped around herself and stroking her precious crystal.

Arlong didn't want to compare this human to his sister, but now that he had noticed, it almost seemed too obvious that Aria was going to be just as reclusive. Arlong sighed internally at his thoughts as Aria scowled up at him, and he patted her on the head. Her frown deepened. "We need to go now."

Aria growled, but Arlong couldn't tell if it was because of their need to leave or his touch. Either way, she gathered all of her bags and followed after him wordlessly, scowl only slipping from her face once Hachi started enthusiastically telling her what a good gardener he was, and how well he'd tend to her greenhouses in her absence. She laughed nervously at Hachi's insistence, and told him she knew he'd take good care of it. Hachi beamed excitedly at the praise, and then steamrolled the conversation towards the journey to Arlong Park.

Aria looked skeptical at the giant jar Hachi insisted she climb into, but after a few of Hachi's promises that nothing would go wrong, she sat inside of it. Arlong laughed at her miserable expression, and then laughed harder when he heard her muttering, "How did my life go so wrong…What did I do that made it karmically necessary for me to climb into a jar and be transported across the ocean in it..."

Despite her complaints, Aria and her belongings were kept mercifully dry and seawater free.

The trio arrived at Arlong Park not long after departing Aria's island, and Aria balked at the sheer size of the completed compound before they had even arrived.

The eight-storied building was a giant red and white pagoda, surrounded by large white walls that were at least twelve feet tall. The balconies on each floor were fenced in similarly painted red wood. A large shark rose from the top of the building, it's form reminding Aria of a particular book cover. Slowly, Aria recalled an island with an amusement park she had stopped at before leaving the Grand Line. She couldn't remember which island it was, or why Arlong Park reminded her of it, but she couldn't help but feel awed as they passed through the huge gates that separated the compound from the ocean.

The view was just as stunning up close, but Aria's anxieties bubbled up again and distracted her from the view as she noted all the fishmen that were staring at her. She forced her face to be blank and emotionless as they approached, trying not to jump as the men suddenly started greeting Arlong and Hachi, and questioning who she was.

"This is our weapons developer and scientist, Aria Reed." Arlong announced to all the present fishmen after they were all on solid ground again. There were a lot of people present, and Aria had to remember to keep her breathing even. Neither Hachi nor Arlong seemed to notice, so she assumed she was keeping things together enough.

Aria scanned the crowd and recognized two of the men present, one as being from Arlong's first visit to the island, and the other as her midnight visitor. They both watched her with gazes full of suspicion, and Aria was nervous when they approached.

"These are two of our officers, Chew," Arlong motioned to the moody lanky blue fishman with the femininely-kept blonde hair, "and Kuroobi." Arlong motioned to the stern fishman in the the gi and floor-length braided pigtails. Arlong grinned with malice as he said, "but you've already met them before." Aria waved halfheartedly.

"And I'm an officer too!" Hachi announced, flexing and pointing thumbs at himself. Aria was surprised. Arlong and Hachi were close, but she hadn't expected him to be that highly revered with how relaxed and friendly and nice he was all the time. Aria had expected all the officers to be more like Arlong.

The crowd of fishmen muttered to themselves, unimpressed with Aria. But Arlong clasped her shoulder like she was a close friend, and announced, "She's joining us today, and we're going to have a welcoming party for her once she's taken our mark! Get ready, boys, because it'll be the best damn party we throw until we've taken over Mata Nui!"

The promise of a party broke the negative mood so fast that Aria almost got whiplash. There were cheers from all around, and Aria found herself grinning nervously as the pirates bellowed her name. The sudden approval made her head spin, and Aria had to adjust her stance to keep herself from falling over. None of the officers missed it, and Hachi ushered Aria inside with a smile thinly masking his concern.

* * *

Hachi had taken her things to wherever her room was while Aria sat down and waited for Arlong to finish setting up the tattoo machine. The silence in the room was awful, which was hilarious to her because the noise of the excited fishmen had been awful, too. So far, she could summarize this entire experience as that one word.

At least this was an entirely different set of awful. Sitting in a room alone with Arlong for hours as he drove a needle into her skin was going to be difficult. She wouldn't be allowed to move while he was working, not even if the pain became too much. Aria sighed and wished Hachi had at least left her a book to read.

Instead, she was left to study the decor. Arlong seemed fond of white-painted wood and teak, but it made sense in the room they were in. Apparently, Arlong did all his tattooing in the infirmary, just in case whomever was getting tattooed passed out. Aside from that, though, Aria was worried about all the marine-life references. There were lots of seashells lining the walls, and several cheesy nautical-themed motivational posters. Even the bed she was laying on had little jellyfish embroidered into the sheets. The _lamps_ were painted with a fish-scale design. Aria liked the ocean well enough, probably more than the average Logia eater, but there was a limit in how many things should reference it when decorating.

Aria sighed again and Arlong glared at her, but with surprisingly little malice. "Are you always this impatient?"

"I don't have anything to _do._ I can't even research." Aria whined, and Arlong's lipped quirked into a smirk for a split second.

"Usually people are less bored when they're forced to get a tattoo." Arlong reminded. Aria shrugged in indifference.

"As long as it's pink, I don't care." Aria snickered at the face Arlong made. "And on my thigh."

"That's going to hurt." Arlong advised, before he rolled his chair across the room and opened a drawer. Aria watched as he put on a pair of red-framed rectangular glasses and tied up his hair into a low ponytail, and swallowed harshly. Arlong looked really good in glasses, and it was definitely something she hadn't expected. He rolled back over and assessed her. "Last chance to change your mind before I start. Placement. _Color_." He almost sounded like he was begging her to change her mind on that. Aria sniggered behind her hand.

"No, I'm fine." Arlong frowned and pressed the stencil to her thigh. He looked her in the eye, trying to get her to change it one last time, and she didn't even bother to hide her amusement. "Go for it. Nice and pink."

Arlong growled lowly and started working. Aria hissed as the needle touched her, but refused to let herself move aside from digging her fingers into arms. It hurt, more than she expected, but she didn't intend to back out. She had already committed herself to this, and she'd be damned if she let herself bitch out.

Aria watched Arlong as he tattooed her, surprised at his steady hand and gentleness. She had expected him to make a lot of mistakes, but he worked with a practiced ease that probably came from tattooing all of his men. His work was even and delicate, and the tattoo slowly looked more and more feminine as it took shape, which she hadn't expected to happen with such a tribal design. Aria was also surprised that the cotton candy pink actually was taking into her brown skin, something humans had always said was impossible. Aria hoped it would stay such a nice shade, and wouldn't fade.

Occasionally, Aria would look at the concentrated look on Arlong's face. It suited him, his knitted brows, determined blue eyes behind red-framed glasses, that semi-scowling mouth that was slightly agape on his angular face. Her eyes would trail down from his thin lips to his thick neck, to his red gills that proudly stood out against his bright yellow muscle shirt and pale blue shoulders. From there it was his taut and muscled arms, to the deep black disposable gloves that separated his skin from hers. Finally, her gaze would venture down to the tattoo that was coming closer and closer to completion. And she would watch him work again, still awed at his skill.

Eventually Arlong sat up straight and gave the tattoo one more appraising glance, before stripping off his gloves and pulling off his glasses. "It's done." He announced, humming in approval.

Aria stood carefully, trying not to let the tattooed area brush against anything. She examined it in the mirror and grinned, excited that it turned out so much better than she had expected it would. The light pink was just a few shades darker than her hair, but would fade to match it after a few years. "This looks really good! I really like it!" Aria chirped, and she glanced up in the mirror just in time to see Arlong's face flicker from surprised to flushed. "Ahh, I'm glad the color came out so nicely…"

Arlong grinned proudly behind her, basking in her praise and the feel of a job well done. Once she was done, Arlong taped a bandage to her leg and explained how to keep it from fading and general maintenance.

Aria felt euphoric from receiving her tattoo, and the day was shaping up to be a lot less awful. "Now we can start getting you ready for your welcome party, hmm?" Arlong said, and Aria came crashing back down.

"You can have a welcoming party without me, right?" Aria replied, laughing nervously.

"No." Arlong laughed back. Aria whined and Arlong gave her an amused look before shoving her out of the infirmary.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

She had gotten drunk, and now she was in some guy's bed. Moved from her nice, not nearly safe enough sleeping place. Her head pulsed, and she whimpered, desperately clenching her eyes and trying to ignore the headache that was following her poor decisions.

* * *

AN:

As fishmen tend to be more unique colors, it would make sense that they made their ink capable of dealing with varying skintones.

FYI chapters might be decreased to every other week, as school is starting up again soon and I'll be picking up a lot more work at the shop as ppl go back. Plus, as these next few chapters are really important, I want to go over them more before I post.


	9. Hermit Hangover

**Chapter 9:** Hermit Hangover

* * *

The party was so much _louder_ than she had expected. Music and laughter and voices boomed from all around her. Occasionally she would hear a loud collective gasp from the pirates as Hachi played with the Sea Kings for show.

It was overwhelming to the point where Aria would have fled, if she could. People were everywhere, and every time she spotted a crevice to slip through it disappeared not a second later. She was trapped against the wall, watching her new crewmates celebrate. Slowly, she could inch towards the safety of another room, but with all the noise bouncing off the walls, it was difficult to pinpoint which room was the quietest.

Aria sighed dejectedly as she realized that not even her Devil Fruit powers could get her out of this mess.

"You look absolutely miserable, girlie." A jellyfish-like fishman said loudly with a hearty laugh as he approached her, two drinks in hand. He had smooth skin, so pale that you could see his veins from afar, and was built much thinner than the other fishmen, like he didn't fight. His platinum hair was thick and tendril-like, reminding Aria of the large jelly-bears from her homeland, and covered his friendly yellow eyes on the right side of his face. He held one cup out to her in offering, and she took it, despite having no intention to drink.

"I'm a hermit. Parties aren't something I'm used to." Aria replied, internally sighing as she realized he wasn't going to leave her alone. She couldn't even get rid of this drink, if he was going to stand and chat with her.

The fishman laughed again, and gave her a toothy grin. "Parties are a pirate's joy, so you'll have to get used to them." He shouted over the music.

"So people keep telling me." Aria said, voice dry.

"You're Aria, right?" When she nodded, he motioned over towards Hachi's show. "Hachi-san won't shut up about how nice you are, for a human. Thought I might see if you matched his description." When she didn't reply, he continued, "by the way, I'm the crew doctor, Kakuzu."

Aria flashed him a smile, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh, so that was your workspace I was in earlier?" Kakuzu nodded. Aria may have hated the decor in the infirmary, but she had seen that it was neatly organized for a doctor's office. The medical books were well-used, and had little to no dust on them, and Aria had been comforted by the thought that at least someone else poured over textbooks as much as she did. "Does Arlong keep you busy?"

Kakuzu shook his head, and smiled wryly. "Not since we've landed here. I never thought I would be bored as a pirate doctor. The most I've had to deal with was construction injuries. Are you gonna drink that?" Aria frowned at the cup. It was filled with a red liquid that was definitely alcoholic.

"Eventually." Aria pursed her lips. "I'm not a big drinker, either."

He snorted. "At least try it. It's not that cheap beer Hachi brought you, it's home-made sangria!" Aria inwardly groaned at the memory of Hachi's beer. That had gotten them both into so much trouble, and Hachi had apologized profusely when he saw her next for landing her into hot water with Arlong.

"I have no idea what that is, or even what the difference is." Aria sighed, steeling herself, and tried it. It was sour and sweet and it burned as it went down her throat. It was fruity, but not nearly enough to hide the taste of alcohol. Kakuzu laughed at her reaction, so hard that she was almost concerned.

"Kakuzu-nii, I see you've met Aria-chan." Arlong approached them just as Kakuzu was regaining his composure. "I didn't know she was a comedian." Arlong smirked, and nursed a drink of his own.

"Arlong-san, you really picked the most sheltered human to join us." Kakuzu replied, and Aria's face burned. She tried to hide her face by taking another drink, but she made a similar expression as her first attempt, and Kakuzu became lost in laughter. Arlong couldn't resist snickering at her.

"Oh, I see." Arlong clasped Aria's shoulder with a wide grin. "You'll be adjusting to a lot of new things, huh, Aria-chan?"

"I hope the rest are more quiet than this. And taste better." Aria grumbled.

Arlong snorted. "You've haven't been planning on running away from your own welcoming party, have you?"

Aria nodded sheepishly. "I was in the process of leaving before he stopped me."

Kakuzu gave a mirthful smile. "I apologize for unwittingly foiling your escape plans." Someone called for Kakuzu from across the room, so he gave a friendly wave goodbye and he left Arlong and Aria alone in awkward silence. Aria tried to drink more, and was surprised to find that it tasted less awful the more she drank.

"Getting a taste for it?" Arlong asked, leaning up against the wall next to her.

"I think it's burning off my tastebuds, actually." Arlong snickered and took a long sip of his own drink.

"You'll be fond of it soon, I promise."

"If you say so."

Silence slipped between them again, but it was less awkward now. Arlong seemed content to people-watch with Aria wordlessly for now, although every so often his eyes would flickered to her quickly depleting cup. The alcohol was certainly making everything more tolerable, numbing her anxieties and claustrophobia. In their place was a warm, lazy feeling that made her want to lay down.

Eventually, her cup was empty, and Aria had no desire to leave anymore, only to stay pressed against the wall. "Stay here." Arlong ordered gruffly, and she nodded, watching him disappear effortlessly into the sea of people with slight jealousy. The only way she would be able to do that was probably with her powers. Arlong returned quicker than she expected, wordlessly pressing a drink into her hand and resumed leaning against the wall.

Aria didn't know how long she and Arlong stood on the edge of the crowd, drinking in silence, but it was surprisingly peaceful. Aria was almost sad when Arlong left her to go talk to Chew, having no one to sit in companionable silence with. When her drink emptied for a second time, Aria contemplated getting more, but had no idea of where they even got it from.

Slowly, Aria realized she was too tired to stand there any longer. Exhaustion and warmth ebbed into her the more she lazed about, and Aria was eager to find a place to sleep. She cursed herself for not asking where her room was while Arlong was still here, and resigned herself to finding a nice couch or chair in a quiet room somewhere. She inched her way deeper into the party until she found a doorway that led to a stairwell, and slowly climbed the stairs until she reached a floor that looked completely deserted, and that had several seats in plain sight.

She curled up in a chair and fell asleep before she even had gotten comfortable.

* * *

Arlong was only slightly worried when he returned to find Aria missing from where he'd left her, and two empty cups in her place. He assumed she went to go find more sangria, and found someone to talk to until she came back.

Thirty minutes later, she still hadn't returned, and Arlong wondered if she had gotten lost or gotten into some mischief. It wasn't like they had bothered to give her a tour yet. Still, Arlong was surprised how easy it was to lose that head of pink hair in a sea of greens, blues, and purples. No matter where he searched, he couldn't find her.

Somewhere along the line, he had gotten word that she had gone upstairs, but the stairwell was on the complete opposite side of the building. Arlong doubted she would have made it that far, as even before he left her she was visibly drunk, face flushed with a drunken smirk. Arlong hadn't realized how much alcohol they put into her drink until she was halfway through her first one and already feeling the effects. Combined with her low tolerance for alcohol and her small frame, Arlong was surprised she had even made it through two drinks.

Arlong pushed himself through the crowd until he reached the stairs, and couldn't find her. Frowning, Arlong wondered if Hachi had told her where she would be staying. Considering how relaxed Aria had been around Arlong, he doubted it.

Arlong was frustrated when he couldn't find her on the second and third floor, and that no one had even seen her pass through. The fourth floor was similarly fruitless, and Arlong was ready to head back downstairs. Finally, Arlong found her on the fifth floor, curled up in an oversized wicker chair, head resting on her arms. While he was grateful she hadn't fallen into the ocean and drowned, Arlong wished she had stayed closer to the party, or waited for him to return before leaving.

It wouldn't do to leave her asleep here, in the hallway outside their barracks. He doubted she'd be able to cause any trouble like Kuroobi had warned, considering how quickly she became inebriated as she drank, but he didn't want to take any chances. Arlong shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her, but she was dead to the world. Arlong snorted in disbelief, and wondered if all humans were such lightweights. He picked her up none too gently and made himself comfortable before carrying her to a proper bed.

"Don't make this a habit," he grumbled to her unconscious body as he tossed her onto the bed. He pursed his lips and took off her shoes before covering her up. Idly, he wondered if Aria had the chance to tend to her tattoo yet, and decided he would remind her in the morning.

Arlong gave her one last glance before he closed the door at the very top of the stairs, making sure she was exactly where he left her before returning to the party. Now that he wouldn't have to worry about keeping an eye on her, he could fully enjoy himself. The thought made him grin, and he wondered how many drinks he could toss back before either he or Salazar passed out.

* * *

Aria woke slowly to the feel of skin brushing hers, and jerked fully awake at the realization that she didn't know where she was, or who was touching her. She tried scrambling away, but her body was nowhere near as coordinated as she wanted it to be, and at most she managed to push herself up and fall against the handsy person beside her.

They both grunted, and the following coughing sounded masculine enough to send another wave of fear rippling through her. She had gotten drunk, and now she was in some guy's bed. Moved from her nice, not nearly safe enough sleeping place. Her head pulsed, and she whimpered, desperately clenching her eyes and trying to ignore the headache that was following her poor decisions. The person, the man, tried to coo something soothing and rubbed her back through her shirt, but all Aria could think of was how grateful she was that there was space between them now.

She had her shirt on. Aria whimpered again, hopefully trying to distract the man enough that he wouldn't notice that she was snaking her hand down to tug at her shorts and make sure they were still there, too. It worked, as the man sighed, and ran his webbed fingers through her hair. Aria had to bite her lip to restrain herself from sobbing as she realized they were a fishman, and harsher when she realized she was still clothed.

"Shoulda made sure they weren't givin' ya hard shit." The voice slurred with a sigh, and Aria's brows knitted together as her head pounded in tandem with it. "Go back t' sleep." He pulled her back against his chest, and Aria's eyes shot open as she squirmed to get free from the arm around her waist. She couldn't see anything but the window in front of her, curtains closed so that only a tiny sliver of moonlight shone through. She dug her nails into the flesh of their arm, and they hissed with a drunken curse, but didn't show any intent of letting go. "Don' worry, 'ria-chan, jus' wanna cuddle." The man tried to pacify, hot breath brushing against her ear.

Aria sniveled at the drunken sound of her name, and tried to curl into a tight ball. They had warned her about this, and she hadn't listened, and now…"Aria-chan, calm down." The order was so clear and different from the drunken slurring that Aria choked mid-sob and started coughing in surprise. The man beside her made a noise of annoyance, and stood so hastily they quickly lost balance. "Moth'rfuck…" He disappeared into the darkness and Aria sat up and blinked away the tears, watching, waiting for him to come back. A door creaked open, and Aria listened for the footsteps to get sufficiently away before trying to follow.

She fell out of the bed face-first, and sobbed again in drunken frustration as she heard the man come back. "What th' hell, Aria…" She heard him set something down, and he leaned down with an annoyed sigh and picked her up like she weighed no more than an empty cardboard box before depositing her back onto the bed. The man fussed with the covers a bit, and then shoved something into her face when he was done. "Drink it. It's water."

Aria's brows furrowed in distrust, but she _had_ heard a faucet run, and there hadn't been enough time for the man to slip anything into it. Hopefully. She took the glass and drank, surprised at how thirsty she actually was. The man collapsed next to her with an annoyed huff, and she felt nauseous at the sudden weight dispersal. She tried to discretely inch away from him, but she could feel him glare at her in the darkness. The second she finished drinking he took the cup from her and placed it somewhere alongside the bed, then crawled under the covers. "Y'gonna sleep or jus' glare in my direction?"

Aria pursed her lips and didn't respond, not trusting herself to sound any better than him. The man snorted, and rolled onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow. "Ya can't even see me, can ya?" The man snickered, and Aria frowned, tempted to use her powers to show him wrong, but doubtful she could even control them with how her head was swimming. But then he touched her face, fingertips brushing against her cheek almost mockingly, and Aria barely restrained herself from dissolving his hand with as many decibels as she could muster. "Don' worry. Just me."

Aria couldn't help the way her lip curled in contempt. "Helpful." The man sniggered.

"Yer so 'dorable when yer pissed but can't lash out." He mocked, and took her hand into his, guiding it to his face. "Ya don' wanna lash out at me, 'nyway." He brushed her fingers against something sharp, and she flinched. "Don' wanna lash out at yer boss ever, hmm?"

Aria blinked as the pieces fell into place, and her face twisted into a look of pure annoyance. "'Long, don't be a creep." Arlong cackled in amusement, and Aria made an annoyed noise. Just because it was Arlong didn't mean she wasn't in danger, especially since he was so drunk, but it was even worse because she really _couldn't_ lash out. That meant she probably had to stay where she was, at least for the night. Oh, god, was she in his room? Did he take her there? Arlong was an even bigger creep than she imagined.

She must have made a face, because Arlong made an inquisitive noise. "What's with th' look?"

"Creep…" Aria murmured before she could stop herself, and Arlong scoffed.

"No, 'm not. Yer just drunk. Can't even handle two glasses of th' fruity shit. Wuss."

"I don't drinkkkkk." Aria whined, for some reason horrified that Arlong thought she was a wuss.

"Nam coul' hold it better." Arlong scoffed again, and Aria's eyes had adjusted to the darkness well enough now that she could see his teeth as he grinned. Aria whined again, and crossed her arms petulantly. Arlong sat up just long enough to shove her down into some pillows, before flopping down, belly first. "Go t' sleep, now." Aria grimaced at the shaking bed, and even more as Arlong tossed an arm over her, ensuring she wouldn't try to escape.

Aria frowned. She could wait until Arlong fell asleep, but he had more practice holding his liquor and controlling a drunken body than she did. And she doubted he was a light sleeper, drunk or not. A throb from her head reminded her that she couldn't focus her powers to help her escape.

"Stop thinkin' wha'ever yer thinkin' and go ta sleep." Arlong mumbled into her ear, and Aria shivered at the heat. "Gotta big day t'morrow."

Aria grumbled and turned her back to Arlong. She pulled the covers up as far as she could and tried to ignore Arlong shifting and curling around her. Aria didn't think he'd be even more touchy drunk, and felt stupid at her lack of foresight. She tried to keep calm, and forced herself to relax. Arlong didn't have any interest further than keeping her there, so she could try and loosen up. Perhaps not sleep, but rest and try to ignore her headache.

Soon, Arlong was snoring into her ear, his arm around her waist. Her head thrummed in tandem with the noise, but she could feel herself drifting off despite the pain. There wasn't anything to worry about. The bed was warm and comfortable. Heat radiated off Arlong in waves, and Aria could imagine that she was back home, sharing a bed with her sister to ward off the cold, the ever-raging storm having finally stopped. It had been a long time since Aria thought about that time, and it made her smile. She sighed contently, and slipped into slumber.

* * *

It was light out when Aria woke up the second time, light enough for her to know she had grossly overslept compared to her usual routine. It mocked her as she tried to open her eyes, and she groaned at the resulting sharp pain that twinged against her temple. Her heart raced at the thought of getting behind or wasting time, but the heavy weight of Arlong's arm across her stomach meant she wasn't going to be able to get to work any time soon. Not with that ring pressing against her skin, sapping her energy even more than her hangover. She cursed its existence only a smidgen less than the sun's, and futily squirmed against the sweaty, hot arm keeping her trapped before giving up. If he was asleep still, why should she worry about falling behind? Aria needed him to wake up for whatever he had planned, and hopefully that would be a long enough wait that her head would stop pulsing. She had closed her eyes and resigned herself to napping a bit longer when she heard Arlong stir.

The second Arlong woke up, he was dragging Aria out of bed, wanting to get shit done the moment he was capable. He only allowed her enough time alone for him to take a shower. Aria would have been appreciative of his urgency, had she just not settled back down and wasn't suffering from last night's party.

Grumbling at everything, she decided to use her free time to observe her surroundings after tossing the curtains open fully, and tried not to wince at the increased light. Arlong's room was large, probably the size of the first floor of her house. There was teak wood flooring spread through the entire room, except for a blue-matted corner that Arlong clearly used for weightlifting and training. The walls were painted blue, and were decorated sparsely with weaponry and maps. They hadn't been on Conomi long enough for him to have enough things to fill all this space yet, but Aria doubted it would stay undecorated.

A couch and a folding divider separated the room into two halves, and Arlong's matted area took up a good fourth of the room as it stretched from the couch to the hall door. A serrated sword hung on the wall imposingly, and Aria wondered if Arlong actually used the massive blade or if it was just for decoration. Aria's stuff had been placed next to the hall door, still bagged and otherwise virtually untouched. Aria pursed her lips and considered changing her clothes but taking her surroundings into account felt more important.

The bed was pressed up against the window, and even without getting close Aria could see down to the ground below. Fishmen were already running about, doing chores and goofing around in the water. The sea stretched out expansively, and in the distance she could very faintly make out her island. It looked so small from here...

The bed itself was soft as a cloud, and was bigger than Aria's. The slate grey sheets were fine and smooth to the touch. Arlong wasn't as fond of pillows as Aria, as there were only two humongous grey pillows, and Arlong's was flattened from constantly being under his torso as he slept. The wine-colored comforter was so plush it was difficult to want to come out from under it. There was no head or footboard, but there were long, thick wooden ledges where they would be. Aria's cup from the night before sat at the head of the bed, and Aria frowned at it.

The bathroom wasn't far from the foot of the bed, and Aria could still hear the shower running. A bookcase sat in the corner next to Arlong's wooden dresser, pressed up against the wall next to the bathroom door. On the opposing wall, a desk and a standing lamp sat close together, nestled between the wall and the folding screen. A long table that only had two chairs sat on the other side of the screen, the chair number unusual for its length. A large mirror hung above it.

Aria stood and stretched, and decided it was time to change out of her clothes after realizing they smelled like alcohol and sweat. She changed into a purple tank top with a laced neckline and some navy cutoff jean shorts, glancing at the doors like Arlong would bust through them at any time as she changed her underwear.

Even after she had spent all that time examining the room and changing, Arlong still wasn't done in the bathroom. The shower was still running. Aria sat down on the couch with a huff, and stared at the bookcase. It was pretty empty, which didn't surprise her. Arlong didn't strike her as the type to read a lot. There were only a few titles she recognized, and they were all pretty obscure books he'd have to get from the Grand Lin-...wait a second. Some of those books were definitely hers.

Aria stood and studied the bookcase more closely, before picking up the stolen books and flipping through them. She pursed her lips as she did. These were _her books_. Arlong had taken _her books_ , somehow without her noticing. Yes, these were titles she never had to reference, not needing to look at navigati-...Arlong had stolen these for Nami.

Aria growled at the thought. If he had just _asked_ her, she would have gladly lent them to him! But he just took them! Like whatever she owned was his!

The bathroom door opened and Arlong emerged, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, to a very irate Aria. It took him only a second to recognize the book in her hands and the look on her face.

"Aria-chan, I se-"

"You stole my shit." Aria didn't even hesitate in cutting him off. The fake smile he had slipped on fell slightly.

"Yes, I was goi-"

" _Don't steal my shit_." Aria snarled, her body rippling in anger. Arlong winced at the sight, expecting her to use her Devil Fruit powers to shriek at him. After waiting several moments with nothing happening, Arlong nodded mutely. Aria pursed her lips and stalked over to her bags, shoving the book inside none too gently. Arlong rolled his eyes while her back was turned and grabbed clean clothes.

"Don't forget to take care of your tattoo." Arlong reminded as he shut the bathroom door. Aria's eyes widened and she glanced at the tattoo on her thigh. She had forgotten it was even there. It looked just as nice as it did yesterday, maybe even better now that it had healed ever so slightly. The area was still sore, as to be expected, and she sighed. She needed to wash it a bit and to put on lotion, if she remembered correctly. Aria ran her tongue over her teeth and grimaced. She needed to brush her teeth, too. Digging through her things, she found her toothbrush and some lotion.

The second Arlong re-emerged from the bathroom, clad in some khakis and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and those weird anklets he was fond of, Aria took his place and quickly took care of everything.

While she was pre-occupied, Arlong stole the book again, hiding it in his dresser. He knocked on the doorframe after he was done. "Time to go." Aria nodded and followed him.

Arlong Park had just as many stairs as she had feared. To top it off, Arlong's room was at the very fucking top, like he was a stair masochist or something. He probably thought he deserved a penthouse suite, Aria mentally grumbled. As they went down the stairs, Arlong pointed out which floors were for what. Floor 7 was Nami's room, the cartography room, inventory, and treasure. Floor 6 was the officer's rooms and the guest rooms. Floor 5 was the barracks, where the crew slept. Floor 4 was mostly just the rec room, and didn't really have a purpose yet. Floor 3 was the kitchen and pantry. Floor 2 was storage, the armory, and the training rooms. Finally, Floor 1 was the main work area. Arlong had even mentioned they built a small workspace for her out back, that was connected to the first floor.

As they went through the building, Arlong talking at her the entire time and somehow not running out of air, Aria noted that everyone regarded Arlong with that weird brotherly respect that she had seen him give last night. People waved and shouted at Arlong fondly, and he welcomed the attention and returned it in kind. It was like they considered each other a giant family, all united under a big brother. Aria couldn't help but remember her conversation with Hachi about nakama, and she wondered if everyone felt the same way about Arlong as he did. Arlong was surprisingly charismatic, now that she was watching him interact with other people. It was a stark contrast to how he treated her and Nami.

Eventually, they reached the destination Arlong had set out for on the first floor. It was a smithy, tucked into the back of the building, sitting snugly between the infirmary and the small corridor that led outside. Arlong mentioned off-hand that was where her workspace was going to go.

"Aria-chan, this is Gajeel-nii and Dresden-nii." Arlong motioned towards the hulking, bulky fishmen that were only inches shorter than himself. The one on the right, Gajeel, was a catfish-like fishmen, with brown-grey skin and whiskers protruding from his face. He had beady black eyes and wispy short hair that was tucked into a small bun. The one on the left, Dresden, was probably a sunfish-variant, judging by his green striped skin. A large fin protruded from the top of his head, making it look like he had a mohawk, but he was hairless.

They regarded her warily, only pausing from their work when Arlong addressed them. "I know y' said we'd be teaching her how t' use this stuff, but...she's pretty scrawny, even f'r a human." Gajeel said, his mouth obscured by a nail he held between his teeth.

Arlong laughed at that. "True, but I doubt Miss Hermit is a stranger to heavy lifting, considering she tore apart several buildings on her island."

Aria kept her face carefully neutral as the men considered the pros and cons of teaching her metalworking with her tiny human body. As if she wasn't even there to hear them. It wouldn't do to kill her new crewmates on the very first day just because they were shit-talking.

"If you don't want to be bothered with teaching me, I'll just worry about learning it myself when I get back home." Aria interrupted smoothly, crossing her arms. The two fishmen exchanged nervous glances, and relented.

"No, we will." Dresden said, but with a heavy sigh. They clearly weren't thrilled with the idea. But with Arlong there, it wasn't like they could say no.

"I hope you'll all get along. Aria-chan has a smart mouth." Arlong warned, a wide grin on his face.

"I'm sure she'll be too busy to be shooting her mouth off." Gajeel laughed, and Arlong cackled. Arlong disappeared shortly after they started showing her around the room.

They had just gotten into learning about the basic tools when an explosion rocked the building. Gajeel swore loudly when he fell back into a table. Dresden rushed over and made sure Gajeel was fine, before sighing in annoyance. "That must be the marines again."

Aria blinked in surprise. Marines had attacked the Arlong Pirates already? They hadn't even gone to Mata Nui yet.

There was yelling outside, and Aria followed her two teachers as they rushed towards the noise. A marine ship was right outside their gates, cannons still smoking. They had only hit the wall that encircled Arlong Park, but it was only a few feet away from hitting the compound's base. Aria grimaced at the thought of the cannon ball having gone just a hundred feet back and to the right, hitting the room where she had just been.

The men weren't running towards the ship or anything, which Aria found odd. They were just standing around. Shouldn't they be defending their base? However, Dresden asked her question for her. "Did the officers already go to take care of the marines?"

"Arlong himself went this time." Someone answered, and Aria blinked as her teachers both whistled lowly.

"Hopefully he doesn't get too into it." Gajeel said, putting his hands on his hips and grinned widely. "Arlong has been having too much fun with them lately. They'll start sending word to the Grand Line."'

There was an explosion beyond the gates, followed by the sound of Arlong cackling. Dresden sighed while Gajeel snickered. The marines shouted desperately, and the ship was moving away from Arlong Park much too quickly to be natural. Soon it got too far for the noise to carry.

Arlong emerged from the water not long after, followed by Chew and Hachi. Aria couldn't help gaping at the blood on Arlong's shirt. There was just so much of it. Arlong wasn't even phased by it, laughing jovially at some comment Hachi had made. They were acting like they hadn't just taken care of an entire marine ship with just the three of them. Sure, it was the East Blue, but...Aria didn't know they were so strong.

Now that they had returned, the crew was dispersing, and Aria mutely followed Gajeel and Dresden back to the workshop. She tried to focus on what they were teaching her, but her mind kept flashing back to Arlong ever so casually sinking an entire ship of people. She had really underestimated his strength, hadn't she?

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Chew, who had finally stopped snickering, grinned as he offered his opinion. "I don't think you can weasel your way out of this one, Aria-san."

"All I want to do is play with welding tools…" Aria sighed, pushing her hair back behind her ear. The idea of training or fighting didn't appeal to her in the slightest.

Arlong gave her an amused smirk. "That's fine. But after I make sure you won't drag us down at Mata Nui."

* * *

AN: one of my favorite tropes is forced bed sharing, haha.

ALSO in regards to the alcohol - not only did they give Aria some strong shit, but she's also half the size of about all of the fishmen, so obvs she's gonna get drunk a lot faster than everyone. Meanwhile, Arlong likes to get really shitfaced when they party so it's not uncommon for him to leave slurring and having trouble walking. He doesn't usually get hangovers though, the lucky bastard.

There's going to be a lot of OCs for Arlong's crew because I get tired of describing faceless characters.


	10. A High Note

**Chapter 10:** A High Note

* * *

Mealtimes were chaotic at Arlong Park. Aria nearly got ran over twice just trying to take in the canteen. It was almost like her welcoming party all over again, with the noise and bustle, and Aria had to employ the same tactics to keep herself from being noticed.

Aria had to wonder if it was worth the effort as she watched a fight break out between two tables. She winced as a table split in two and the fight became more agitated. Food definitely wasn't worth getting wrapped up in that.

Just as Aria reached the staircase, however, Arlong and Chew intercepted her. Arlong grinned at her as he approached, while Chew was much more hesitant. "Aria-chan! Going back to work already?"

"Yeah. Not really hungry. Bye." Aria tried to brush past Arlong, but he caught her by the arm with ease. Arlong didn't look too happy with her answer.

"You should eat with us." Arlong ordered, pulling her along. Aria grimaced at the mess hall, but let Arlong tug her back into the chaos. Chew looked as off-put as her, at the very least. Arlong's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the fighting pirates. "Save that energy for Mata Nui, boys, unless you want Kuroobi to give you some extra training."

The men at least had the decency to look sheepish at getting reprimanded.

After having a plate of food forced on her, Aria sat next to Chew, grateful that he could be a barrier between her and Arlong. With luck, she could just eat and disappear back into the workshop.

Honestly, Aria had even less of an idea of how to deal with Chew than she did with Arlong, Hachi, or even Kuroobi. He seemed to be fond of fashionable clothes, even effeminate ones, and there was a certain delicacy to him, even though he was constantly pursing his lips. Perhaps he had been a noble of some sort, before becoming a pirate? He had a haughty air about him that Aria could relate to.

"So, Aria-san, you're from the New World originally?" Chew asked. Aria tried not to let her disappointment show. She'd hoped to avoid small talk. It was bad enough that all the other crew members were staring at her. She'd tried so hard to look as unappealing to talk to as possible, too...

She took a bite of food to give herself time to think of how she wanted to deal with his questioning. If she remembered right, Chew was one of Arlong's officers. Even if Arlong wasn't sitting next to him, he'd report anything she said back to him. What a pain. "Yeah, I am."

"You must be pretty strong, chuu."

Aria raised a brow. "I'm not really sure how those two things correlate."

Chew gave her an incredulous look. "You know that the first half of the Grand Line is called 'Paradise' because it's such a cakewalk compared to the second half, right?"

"Yeah. But that's only if you go around picking fights. I didn't get into any trouble before I left."

Chew dropped the sandwich he'd been eating. "So you didn't get into any fights or anything, chuu?"

Aria _had_ gotten into a few fights before in her life. Petty school squabbles, mostly. But the Grand Line wasn't a place one could sail through peacefully, and she'd been forced to defend herself more than once. She wasn't going to tell Chew that, though. "I don't really count schoolyard brawls as actual fights."

Chew glowered at Aria, and she wondered if she'd answered that question wrong. He turned to Arlong irritably. "Are you fucking serious? Not only did she kick our asses with her shitty fruit power, but she's got shit combat experience, chuu. I think I hate her, Arlong-san."

"Don't remind me about that." Arlong grumbled back, angrily shoving his food in his face as he remembered their first meeting. Aria would have been impressed as she watched the two fishmen go to town on their food, but...

Ah. That's right. Chew had been there when Arlong had first come to her island. No wonder he seemed to dislike her before they had held a conversation. Saying that she had no combat experience had probably just rubbed salt in the wound.

"I asked Kuroobi to train you before we went to Mata Nui, Aria-chan." Arlong said.

Aria frowned. That sounded like it would be unpleasant. Still, she should at least try to be more considerate of their feelings, if she wanted to be accepted. "Thank you…?"

"He said no."

"Oh." Aria breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good…" she murmured under her breath, causing Chew to snicker.

"So starting tomorrow, I'm going to."

Aria dropped her chopsticks. "What?" She must have misheard. Chew's snickers turned into outright cackling, probably due to the horrified expression on her face.

"You may have your devil fruit power, but aside from that you're still a flimsy, pathetic human." Arlong sneered. "I'd rather you have _some_ training, especially since Mata Nui is home to a marine base."

Aria shoved a glob of rice in her mouth, hoping that she'd come up with a proper response by the time she'd finished it. But it was impossible. She'd gone from the frying pan right into the oven. Kuroobi at least seemed to have the patience required to be a teacher. Arlong couldn't even be a good student. "I could just avoid the marines?"

"No, you're coming with us to take it over."

Chew, who had finally stopped snickering, grinned as he offered his opinion. "I don't think you can weasel your way out of this one, Aria-san."

"All I want to do is play with welding tools…" Aria sighed, pushing her hair back behind her ear. The idea of training or fighting didn't appeal to her in the slightest.

Arlong gave her an amused smirk. "That's fine. But after I make sure you won't drag us down at Mata Nui."

"By the way, Aria-san," Chew said between bites, "you're pretty brave for a weak human, chuu."

Aria gave him a flat look. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"When we came to your island you didn't even _flinch_ at us. Most humans freak out and cower, chuu."

Aria scoffed, and waved her hand at him flippantly. "It's not like you're the first fishmen I've ever seen."

Arlong and Chew shared a look at that, and they both turned to her in surprise. "Really, now?" Arlong mused aloud. It certainly explained a lot.

Aria scoffed again. "Honestly, just because I'm a hermit in this backwater ocean doesn't mean I'm completely sheltered…"

"That's not what we were surprised about at all, chuu! We were just wondering about...well, a lot."

"Just tell us about them." Arlong urged, moving his chair so that he could properly face Aria as she spoke. Aria tried not to sigh around her rice. She hadn't done a very good job of sticking to nonsense small talk, had she? Now they were both curious about her.

"Mm, about two decades or so there was a group that kept stopping by Fiora Marsh. They'd stay for a while and then leave, only to return a year or so later." She wondered if she should mention the men who had stayed, and made families.

"So they were restocking on supplies, or traders, or something?"

"There are a lot more accessible places to restock and trade than Aqua Atlus. But they did some trade." Aria informed, resting her chin in her head as she spoke. "From what I gathered, they were mercenaries or pirates, but they had made some sort of deal with the information brokers. They'd bring back books and such, bounties for future Abroaders to study, minerals and hard to obtain items. For a while they even acted as guards for a few Abroaders."

She took a drink, considering her next words with a smirk. If she was sharing information, she might as well go all-out. "Honestly, they were no more unusual than human men coming to our island, considering the population was about 95 percent female." That took both pirates by surprise, much to Aria's glee. "My island has something akin to Amazon Syndrome, though we're much more tolerant to outsiders than our Lily counterpart. Provided they kept our island a secret to other outsiders, of course."

Arlong hummed thoughtfully. "So this is your way of showing your trust, hmm?"

Aria nodded. "Something of the sort. I'd rather you two not go around telling everyone, however."

Arlong readily agreed to her terms, a pleased smile on his face. Chew, on the other hand, had his own terms that he relayed with a devious grin. "I can keep my lips sealed if you'll play something for us. Hachi is ever the loudmouth, chuu, and he mentioned that you're good at playing the violin."

"Huh?" Aria said, giving Chew another flat look. "Are you blackmailing me into this?"

"I mean, I could accidentally wind up telling Hachi what you just told me, and then _everyone_ would know."

" _Arlong_." Aria growled, looking to him for help.

Arlong flashed her a completely unapologetic fangy grin. "Shahahaha! I think I'd like to hear you play, too."

"I'm never telling any of you anything ever again." Aria grumbled into her drink, finishing it off and standing with a huff. "Stay right here and I'll grab my violin and I'll play you a shitty song."

"No, not a shitty one, Aria-san. A really good one!" Chew called out to her as she stomped away. After she was out of sight, he turned to Arlong. "That'd be a good icebreaker, right?"

Arlong snickered and leaned his back against the table. "If she doesn't kill you afterwards, sure."

Chew shrugged. "She could stand to socialize a bit more, chuu. I think she'd rather spend all of her time in the smithy with Gajeel and Dresden."

"Why do you think I forced her to eat with us?" Arlong's voice turned dry. "She looked like she was ready to dart back there."

Chew couldn't help but agree. The pure look of discomfort on her face had pissed him off. Sure, she wasn't scared of them in the slightest, but she wasn't one of them, either. Just having Arlong's mark didn't make her nakama. She'd have to work hard to earn that title. Playing in front of everyone might help that matter, Chew hoped.

A while later, Aria reappeared with her violin in hand, though she looked slightly more embarrassed than when she left. "I haven't played in front of such a large group." She admittedly sheepishly. But she played, and quickly found herself joined by a few fishmen that had their own instruments.

Hachi, who had shown up while Aria fetched her instrument, broke out into a song, singing horribly off-key. The crew joined him readily, and a loud chorus broke out.

Without realizing it, she had started having fun trying to match their sea shanties.

* * *

After his late lunchtime, Arlong went to the war room to go over their plans of attack once more. They had a reasonably solid initial plan of attack, and there was no doubt in his mind that they would be able to conquer the weak, pitiful humans that resided on Mata Nui, but going over their plans time and again had become an enjoyable habit. Arlong felt it was similar to when Aria spoke of all the weapons she could create, and Arlong's entire being would get excited with the knowledge that he could _conquer_.

After Borsalino, after Impel Down, after his spat with Jinbe...All Arlong wanted to do was prove that fishmen were superior to humans. He still couldn't believe that after Brother Tai's death that Jinbe would just go become a government dog…!

So it was with a great deal of pettiness that the second island they were going to conquer was home to a Marine Base. He intended to crush them callously, to return the favor that shitty marines had done to his life. They had killed his beloved brother, and stolen another from him. He _would_ show them his rage.

That wasn't the only reason Mata Nui was in his sights. Arlong needed a way to counteract his bounty, and to control the information that the marines would send to the Grand Line. There was no way Jinbe wasn't keeping an ear to the ground for information on the Arlong Pirates. As a Warlord, he could come to the East Blue if he pleased. Perhaps in time, after all Arlong intended to do to humans in the future, Jinbe wouldn't be so weak as to not kill Arlong to stop his empire's growth.

"Arlong-san, I hope you don't intend to collect more humans at Mata Nui."

Kuroobi's voice broke Arlong out of his thoughts. He stood fully, tearing his gaze away from the map of Mata Nui he'd been glaring at since he arrived. Kuroobi stood not far away, arms crossed and brows furrowed like he'd been thinking about something for far too long, as he usually did.

"Why would I get any more?" Arlong grumbled. "Aria-chan and Nami-chan are only with us because they serve a purpose, Kuroobi-nii. I wouldn't bother with their lesser species, otherwise."

Kuroobi raised a brow. "You and Chew were encouraging Aria-san to get along with the crew, earlier. You asked me to train Aria-san. It's not like she is Nami, a traitorous child who you've given an impossible task to complete."

"So you don't have a problem with me bringing in more humans, but instead with Aria?"

Kuroobi shook his head. "No, Aria-san is the beginning of a problem. We're here to conquer, not to make friends."

"Don't tell _me_ what we're here for, Kuroobi." Arlong sneered, swinging his fist and hitting the table with a heavy thud. The wood under his fist cracked a bit, and Kuroobi gave an internal sigh at his childhood friend's antics. Arlong was temperamental at the best of times, and Kuroobi had known he was bringing this topic up at a bad time based on Arlong's expression when he walked in. But someone needed to remind Arlong not to let down his guard, or to lose sight of their goal. Arlong continued, "we're taking over Mata Nui with an ally we've never fought with before. There needs to be _some_ trust between Aria and the rest of the crew, no matter how small it is."

"Why are you concerned with her trust, though? She's just a human."

Arlong scoffed. "If she _were_ just a human, I'd agree. But she's got that damn devil fruit power. You weren't there, the first time we went. You don't know how powerful a logia is, just yet." Kuroobi couldn't help but give a nod, despite the grimace on his face. He'd heard from Chew and Hachi how unpleasant the whole experience had been, and how undefeatable she had seemed before Arlong had won. "Aria-chan is useful. But only if we control her. If she thinks of us as friends, it's better for all of us. She _needs_ to be one of us."

Kuroobi nodded again, finally understanding. "I see your point. But...I can't readily say I'll be her friend any time soon, if ever."

Arlong shrugged. "I don't care either way. Just don't get in the way."

"As long as you keep your guard up, I won't." Kuroobi promised. "The only controlling factor we have on Aria-san is your ring. Don't forget that. She's not as easy to control as Nami if she decides to betray us."

Arlong gave a mirthless smile. "Why do you think I'm trying so hard to play friends with a human?"

"I don't know, Arlong-san." Kuroobi admitted. "That's why I've been worried. I don't want the crew to become weak to humans like they were with Koala." Kuroobi closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "I don't want the Arlong Pirates to break up over a stupid mistake like trusting a human. It ended so badly before…"

Arlong grimaced. "I won't let it end like that. Never. We're going to conquer the humans, and make our own damn place under the sun." Arlong's conviction soothed Kuroobi's wounds, but it would take a lot more work to heal them. Nevermind the fact that Arlong's wounds festered at his words, angry and poisonous.

* * *

When Arlong walked into the room, Aria was sitting on the couch, tuning her violin. Arlong hadn't expected her to be here, thinking she would be in the metal shop until late into the evening. Still, the company would be welcome, after such an unpleasant conversation with Kuroobi about the humans.

"Hachi told me you could sing." Arlong said, sitting down next to her and spreading himself over the couch. Aria looked up at him for only a split second before refocusing. She had gotten use to his presence in these last two days, no longer bristling at his slight touches unless startled. Arlong preferred her indifference to her narrow-eyed discomfort.

"I can, yes." Aria replied, her voice distant. Arlong watched her lithe fingers strum the strings, and she clucked her tongue after all the pitches rang. She adjusted the knobs minutely.

"Why don't you sing for us, hmm? After we're done with this new island." Aria's lip quirked like he had told a joke.

"I don't sing for people." Aria informed, with the faintest hint of amusement in her voice. Arlong raised a brow questioningly.

"You sung for Hachi." Arlong whined ever so slightly, and Aria's lip quirked again. Arlong had noticed she was amused by his whining, and he intended to use it to his advantage whenever possible.

"No." She countered, instantly. "I was singing for the plants." She strummed the chords again, and hummed pleasantly at the noise. "Music helps them grow better." Aria stood and reached for her bow, plucking it off the ground in a fluid movement. She tested her violin more thoroughly. Arlong waited patiently until she was done, watching her fingers move nimbly. Aria was plenty dexterous.

"You'd sing for plants over your own captain, Aria-chan? How cruel." Arlong said, resting his head against his fist. Aria scoffed and tossed a look of disbelief over her shoulder.

"You should be happy I played for this merry little band of pirates at all. Not many people have gotten that sort of special treatment from me." Aria said smoothly, a haughty smirk slipping onto her face.

"I didn't know our little hermit was in such high demand." Arlong crooned back.

"Of course I am. Why do you think I came out to this tiny archipelago?" Aria walked over to her case, and unclasped the latches. She was going to put her violin away. Arlong didn't want that yet.

"Did you ever do duets?" Arlong asked sharply, and Aria hesitated. Arlong cursed himself. There were a thousand better ways to tell her not to pack it up just yet.

Her eyes were knitted together like she was worried, but she had a smirk on her lips. "Why? Do you play anything? Or was that just a set-up for a lewd joke?"

Arlong definitely hadn't intended for her to take it _that_ way. "It wasn't. Get your mind out the gutter." Aria laughed, sharply. "There's a piano on the fourth floor. We could play together, if you want." Arlong crossed his legs. This was definitely not what he had expected to do tonight.

Aria turned back to Arlong and grinned. " _Piano_? I didn't know you knew how to do anything so cultured, Arlong." Arlong scowled. "Why do you want to?"

Arlong shrugged. "Something entertaining after sinking ships."

Aria stiffened. "Oh. I'd forgotten about that." She frowned deeply, and ran her fingers along her textured case anxiously.

Curious, Arlong stood up and closed the distance between them. "Does that bother you? That we sunk them, Aria-chan?" Arlong watched her face intensely, searching for expressions that would betray her words. Arlong didn't know what to expect when it came to showing Aria acts of piracy. She said she was selfish, and that she only did things that would benefit her. Aria supposedly didn't care about what happened to the Conomi islands, or what would happen to the villagers if they didn't pay. She didn't mind getting tattooed, didn't mind joining the Arlong Pirates, didn't even mind sleeping in his bed so long as he wasn't drunk. But Aria had to have some boundaries, some lines she didn't want to cross. Arlong just had to figure out where those lines were. This could be one.

"No." Aria's fist clenched, and she avoided looking at Arlong's face. "But it was faster than I thought it would be. Quieter. I wouldn't even have known it happened if I was on my island."

"Probably not." Arlong agreed quietly. Aria was usually piss-poor in covering her expressions, and it was clear it bothered her in some manner. But it was a line she was willing to cross. Interesting.

"How...how many _have_ you sunk since taking over Conomi?" Aria bit her lip as she looked up at him. She slid her hand up her arm and squeezed her bicep nervously. She didn't _want_ to know, but she was asking anyway. Arlong could respect that.

"Today was the eighth. Damn humans don't know when to stop coming." Arlong shoved a hand in his pocket, the other scratching his face in irritation. Honestly, he hadn't expected them to keep coming after he destroyed the first five all those weeks ago.

Aria considered that in silence. Then she picked up her violin.

"...Okay. Sure."

Arlong blinked dumbly for a second, before realizing what Aria was agreeing to. He grinned widely. "Will you sing, too?" The tension in the air dissolved as quickly as it appeared.

"Hell no." Aria dead-panned.

"You'll sing for me one day, won't you, Aria-chan?" Arlong crooned, leaning down to grin in her face.

Aria scoffed. "Don't push your luck." Arlong laughed loudly and stood up.

"You're too fun to tease. C'mon." Arlong caught her sticking her tongue out at his back in the mirror, and laughed louder. Aria followed, a pout on her lips.

It didn't take long to reach the fourth floor, and Aria couldn't help but feel nervous. It had been such a long time since she had played with people. Would Arlong find her skills lacking? No, most likely not, as he didn't seem like the type to be particularly skilled in music-making.

The fourth floor was wide and spacious, with high ceilings and white tiles and teak paneling, and separated into several different rooms. The piano was in the music room, and according to Arlong it was only used sparingly by a few of the crew. The music room itself was used pretty frequently, as the boys loved playing during parties and would frequently get drunk and have playoffs, but no one seemed to care for the piano. The room itself was littered with so many instruments that Aria had a hard time not staring lovingly at them all. If she didn't have her own collection at home, she would have just holed up in this room.

The piano stood near the windows, looking out over the ocean. It was somewhat dusty, but there were lots of playbooks stacked nearby, and they were all well-worn. Several were dog-eared and had notes taped to the side. Aria found it strange that the books were in such a condition if no one used the instrument.

"What do you want to play?" Aria asked quietly, watching as Arlong took a seat on the bench. It was a baby grand piano, but Arlong still seemed so large next to it. What a massive man, Aria couldn't help but note. It was no wonder that he could destroy entire fleets with such ease, given his reach and strength.

"I don't care. You'll have to forgive me, it'll take awhile to get back into the swing of things. I'm a bit rusty." Arlong said, before playing a few simple chords, trying to refamiliarize himself with the beast before him.

Aria couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, the mighty Arlong can be humble." She teased, and Arlong snorted, returning her playful smirk. She flipped open a book of sheet music until she found an easy song to help Arlong. "How about this one?"

"I'm not that out of practice." Arlong said dryly, causing Aria to raise a brow.

"Oh? Well, play with me and prove it." She taunted, and raised her bow to the bridge. Arlong gave her an incredulous look, scoffing, but placed his hands over the keys with an eager grin. Aria hummed the beginning of the song, tapping her foot to keep time, and they began together. It was a slow song, easy to keep tempo to, but jovial. Aria was surprised at how easily Arlong slipped into a trance, playing like he was in a memory, and he became more comfortable the further he fell into the music. His shoulders relaxed and he'd close his eyes every so often.

The song ended far too soon, and Arlong sent Aria a self-satisfied smirk. "Not that rusty."

Aria smiled coyly. "Then it's time to ramp up the difficulty." She flipped to a much faster song.

"Shahaha! You can't trip me up with that one, Aria-chan." Arlong said. He grinned widely, eagerly accepting her challenge. Aria set the song up again, and they played just as smoothly as they had before. Again and again, Arlong would go through the song with ease, and taunt Aria for picking songs he was good at. Aria would respond by finding more and more difficult songs, going through each book and folder nearby that held sheet music.

Aria decided she liked playing with Arlong. The way he went about it reminded her of when he was tattooing her, except it was a different type of concentration. If he played with his hair up and his glasses, Aria didn't doubt that he could be very popular, just on looks alone. Arlong was good, too, and with more consistent practice, Aria knew he could make a lot of money with his skill. It was such a shame he had turned to piracy and violence.

"You're a lot better than I expected. Who taught you how to play?"

The question seemed to catch Arlong off guard, but he quickly covered it with a haughty grin. "No one. I had to learn by myself. " Aria didn't even bother trying to hide the fact that she was impressed.

"Usually self-taught practitioners aren't nearly so...eloquent." Arlong nodded, glancing away. He hummed, remembering something.

"It was the only thing that would calm down my sister. She'd wake me up in the middle of the night, bawling, and wouldn't settle down otherwise." He frowned, trying to ignore whatever he was thinking, and turned back to Aria with a forced smirk. "And you?"

"Some scientist somewhere had a theory that having your children learn music instruments makes them more academically inclined, so everyone learned an instrument." Aria replied flippantly, shrugging. At Arlong's disappointed expression, she continued much more genuinely, "though I did like playing instruments and figuring out how to make sounds with the different reverberations, and so they kept throwing new ones at me. That's part of the reason they gave me the Kssh-Kssh fruit, so it worked out well."

Arlong looked like he was about to ask another question, mouth open even, when there was a clattering noise near the door. The two turned their gazes towards the door, where a sheepish Nami stood, having ran into an instrument and thankfully not knocking it over.

"Nami-chan, shouldn't you be sleeping?" Arlong asked stiffly. Aria raised a brow at his sudden standoff-ish-ness. He had been acting plenty amicable before.

Nami pursed her lips but didn't back down. "I heard pretty music. It must have been Aria-chan's."

"Yes, she had been playing." Arlong answered.

"Was she playing the piano, too? It sounded so nice for such an old instrument." Nami asked, bounding over to inspect the piano. She wrinkled her nose at the visible dust on it.

"No, that was Arlong." Aria replied quietly, wondering how to handle the girl. Arlong shot Aria a glare, and Aria grimaced. What was his problem?

Nami's eyes grew wide, and she looked impressed for a split second before forcibly hiding it under a frown. "Well, maybe it wasn't that nice…" She muttered dejectedly.

Aria glanced between Arlong and Nami. They both seemed eager to snap at the other. They didn't really get along that well when Nami visited for her problem, come to think of it, but Arlong had at least tried to care for her. Nami seemed to have no patience for Arlong, despite that. "Well, have you ever played, Nami?"

"Nope. They were too expensive for us to even consider breaking." Nami replied, and Aria hummed thoughtfully before a wondrously mischievous idea took hold.

"How about you learn, then? Arlong is pretty good." Aria cooed, grinning coyly.

Nami glanced at Arlong before making a disgusted face. Arlong pursed his lips unhappily at the suggestion, but looked like he was actually taking it into consideration. "That might not be a bad idea. But not for long, Nami-chan."

"I'd rather learn from Aria-chan." Nami replied, crossing her arms. Arlong look put-off by her brattiness.

"Sorry, Nami, I don't know how. You have to learn from Arlong or not at all." Aria lied smoothly, and leaned against the piano with a cheshire grin on her face. Nami's face fell, and she considered it.

"...Fine, I guess." Nami relented. She grinned before continuing, "but you should stay and play your violin while we do." Aria nodded, intending to do that either way, and flipped through the nearby sheet music until she found some easy songs for Nami to try.

Nami sat next to Arlong on the bench, and Aria was once again taken aback by just how large he was. Nami would probably never reach his shoulders. Nami was so thin and narrow compared to Arlong's wide torso and muscle-corded arms.

While Arlong slowly went over the basics with Nami, Aria kept flipping through the sheet music until she ran into a song she hadn't heard in ages. The lyrics were included, even, and Aria found herself wanting to play it desperately. It would take a few attempts to get it perfect on the violin, having played it on another instrument initially, but she was eager. She stepped away from Arlong and Nami as to not disturb their lessons, and let the sheets sit in the moonlight.

The music sounded just as beautiful as Aria remembered, and her heart soared at the nostalgia. This had been one of her favorite songs as a child, even though it had a heavy mood. She found herself humming the lyrics without even realizing it as she played it over and over, and then lowly murmuring them, and finally singing them softly.

The song was just as cathartic as she remembered. Aria glanced over at Arlong and Nami and was glad to find them still engrossed in teaching Nami how to play. Aria didn't want them to hear her sing, too embarrassed at the thought. She tucked the sheet music into her shirt, to take back home with her, and then found something new to play.

They carried on like that for far longer than intended, Nami actually coming around to Arlong teaching her, and Aria playing in the corner. By the time they stopped, it was well into the night, and Nami was nodding off despite her interest. Arlong led Nami back to her room, Aria following lazily in her own sleepiness, and made sure she would stay there for the night. Aria went on ahead, intent on changing into her sleeping clothes before Arlong came to bed.

Aria had changed and was putting away her violin as Arlong entered. He covered his mouth as he yawned, and blinked away the sleepiness that followed. He didn't even bother going into the bathroom to remove his clothes, and just tossed his shirt and pants on the couch. Aria wondered if it was because he was a pirate that he had the courage to walk around in his boxers while she was there or if it was his own overconfident personality.

Aria climbed into the giant bed, putting herself as close to the window as possible, still not entirely comfortable with sleeping next to Arlong. Sure, he didn't have any bad intentions, but after so many years alone it was strange to share a bed with another person. She'd feel him move in the night or brush against her and it was unusual. All she had at home were her stuffed animals, and those didn't shake the entire mattress when they rolled over. They weren't even capable of rolling over.

Arlong seemed amused by her actions, but didn't say anything about them. Instead, he climbed under the covers and instantly rolled onto his stomach, trying to get comfortable. Silence filled the room, but it wasn't awkward.

Aria was on the brink of sleep, just a few moments from passing out. "Aria-chan?" Arlong murmured, voice full of tiredness and clearly desperate for sleep.

"Hnn?" Aria grunted back.

"I got you to sing for me." Arlong taunted.

Aria was quiet for a few moments, sleep making it hard to process what he meant. "No."

Arlong snorted. "No need to deny it. I liked it, depressing lyrics and all." Aria tried to ignore her flushing cheeks by puffing them out in irritation.

"Go to sleep." She grumbled. Arlong snickered beside her. She hadn't meant to sing at all, but it was one of her favorites.

"Night, Aria-chan."

"Night."

"Sing for me again someday."

"Don't even dream about that."

"You're so cruel…"

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

"Are you going to lounge around all day, or are you going to get to work? I don't pay you to laze about."

"You don't pay me at all yet…" Aria murmured under her breath. Arlong glared at her harder, despite the fact that there was no way he could have heard her comment.

"If I come back here in twenty minutes and you're still here there's going to be hell to pay."

* * *

AN: The piano scene was something I'd desperately wanted to write since I read A.G. Moria's fic on ffdotnet about Arlong teaching Nami to play the piano. Considering I had always wanted to write Aria as a music-orientated OC, it was perfect for having a bonding moment between three ppl who don't really want to be friends. I'll probably make more references to fics that feature Arlong (like that reference to _A Lesson in Blue_ a few chapters ago), especially since there aren't that many and I wanna give props to the people who inspired me to give this dumb shark some attention. Also, if you've read my Hellbent one-shots on Ao3, you'll notice that Arlong lied about teaching himself how to play the piano. He's still a bit too sore to mention who exactly taught him how to play...

The song that Aria is so fond of is Fire Emblem's "Lost in Thoughts All Alone," which I found very fitting for Arlong because of his desires of conquest and his belief that fishmen are superior to humans due to their "birthright" of being stronger and able to breath underwater. Not to mention it has a LOT of aquatic references. And on its own, it's just a really good song lol.


	11. Resolve

**Chapter 11:** Resolve

* * *

On her third day at Arlong Park, Aria once again woke up to Arlong snoring in her ear, his arm wrapped around her and that damned seastone ring against her bare skin. She knew it was intentional, because he'd taken off all his other jewelry beforehand, including those laughable anklets he insisted on wearing.

She'd give him props for paranoia if she wasn't being made so weak that she couldn't even wiggle free.

To make matters worse, Arlong was fond of sleeping with barely any clothes on (which Aria figured she really ought to have seen that coming, considering how he flaunted his bare chest as much as possible) and he had no problem with accidentally crushing her under his giant near-naked frame.

She tried not to think about the fact that he was so warm that blankets were a formality, or that he had that nice scent that always seemed to cling to men. She also tried very hard not to think of the fact that Arlong's hair was tickling her nose and that it was disgustingly soft for such a brute of a man.

And wasn't he just the sort her homeland had warned her about? A crass, dangerous pirate, out for blood and money and power. Eager to fight and conquer, and to claim anything and anyone he wanted (she tried not to think of the man who had played piano with her the night before). Her curriculum had given her a harsh reality check before she left home, but Aria had assumed as long as she kept her head down and stayed away from people, she would be safe from types like him.

She wondered again what Hachi saw in Arlong (she tried to ignore the memory of his face flushing slightly as she praised her tattoo). Perhaps it was something similar to what she'd seen in the pirates who visited Fiora Marsh's only tavern as a child. The thrill of adventure, of discovering new places, of exploration?

Her homeland wasn't frequented by many visitors, as it sat close to the Calm Belt and was surrounded by unwelcoming Sea Kings as well as a natural barrier of about 25 miles worth of ice that was thick enough to stop a ship but not thick enough to stop one of the aforementioned Sea Kings. Mostly, the only visit they got were pirates who were dumb or brave enough to not worry about becoming lunch.

For a good number of years, Aria remembered that their town in particular was visited by a group of pirates who were looking for an island free from the influence of the World Government as well as the average human's mindset. Aqua Atlus was their prize jewel, as it had no interest in joining the ranks of the government, was isolated enough to become a safehaven, and had an unusual mindset due to it's culture.

They were a lively bunch, always laughing and swapping stories and intel with the locals, and they always came to the tavern that was a block away from Aria's childhood home and played music until the aurora borealis was fading into dawn. The pirate group was even on such good terms with the royalty that they were considered official information gatherers, and they were completely exempt from immigration hassles.

But to Aria, they were the obnoxiously loud storytellers who liked to bug her while she was studying. She always made sure to weasel out as many tales as she could as payment for them disturbing the peace she usually enjoyed while studying.

She had lied when she had talked to Chew about if the fishmen she had known as a child were pirates, but for a good cause. The Deapsea Pirates didn't want to be known by outsiders any more than the average Aqua Atlus resident, especially after a good portion of them had settled down permanently. Considering Chew and Arlong's mindsets, it seemed a bit suicidal for her to lay down the idea that they had even started up families with the women. Perhaps later she could let that little tidbit slip, but not until she had a reason to get under Arlong's gills.

Arlong's snoring stopped, and Aria found the silence that followed somewhat ominous. She suddenly recalled that Arlong had intended to begin her training after they woke up, as he didn't trust her not to get so engrossed in her work that she would forget all about it. As Arlong languidly stretched himself awake, Aria withheld a sigh.

Aria turned to make eye contact and was met with a bloodthirsty grin.

* * *

As she had expected, training was awful. Aria didn't know how, or why, but she woke up on the floor, her mind dazed and her head throbbing. She pulled herself up off the floor with a groan, and decided she was going to take a nice, long bath before she got to work.

Arlong's private bathroom was heavenly, and Aria thought he didn't deserve it at all. The beautiful red tiling extended all the way to the ceiling, and the room was full of natural light from the giant window. A humongous tub sat in the middle of the room, right in front of the window, and it was surrounded on either side by thick partitions that blocked off a similarly spacious shower and small nook for the toilet. A large vanity rested next to the door, a giant mirror filling the empty wall on its other side.

Really, why should he have such a nice bathroom all to himself? Aria pouted as she sunk herself into the tub, rubbing her arms and grimacing at the resulting pain. She was going to have a lot of new bruises, but at least the nice hot water would soothe her muscles.

Aria sighed in content as she sunk into the water down to her nose, wrapping her arms around her legs. She was going to relax for a good half hour and then get to work.

The door slammed open.

Aria yelped in surprised, before she glared at the offending intruder.

Arlong glared at her from the threshold. He made no move to act embarrassed about walking in on her while she was bathing, which grated on Aria's nerves. First he was careless enough to knock her out during training, and now he was intruding on her during her bath? Aria couldn't believe he had once said he knew how to treat a lady. The liar.

"Are you going to lounge around all day, or are you going to get to work? I don't pay you to laze about."

"You don't pay me at all yet…" Aria murmured under her breath. Arlong glared at her harder, despite the fact that there was no way he could have heard her comment.

"If I come back here in twenty minutes and you're still here there's going to be hell to pay."

"Yes, sir…" Aria sighed.

* * *

Arlong was in a room off in the seventh floor when she found him. He was alone, pouring over maps with a determined look on his face, which Aria noted was very rare. He was always surrounded by _someone_ , never once alone unless he requested it. Or if he was in his room. Aria hesitated at the thought of intruding on his alone time, wondering if he would unappreciate the disturbance as she would.

As it would happen, Arlong glanced over at the door and saw her before she even got the chance to make up her mind.

"What is it?" The saw-tooth fishman didn't bother giving her more than a passing glance when he addressed her, but he didn't sound annoyed at the scientist's disturbance. After another half-second of debate, Aria passed over the room's threshold and stood next to him, joining him in peering over the maps. Aria recognized quite a few as local islands, not even a few days away. The one that seemed to be the focal point was Mata Nui, of course, but there were several other islands surrounding Mata Nui that held Arlong's interest. It made her curiosity burn even more, pushing the reason for seeking out Arlong to the forefront of her mind.

"I have a question."

Arlong looked at Aria expectantly, but with a fair amount of curiosity, too. "Hmm? What is it, Aria-chan?"

"Why are you trying to take over the East Blue?"

Arlong blinked. "To build an empire, obviously."

Aria gave him an incredulous look. "If you're just building an empire for the hell of it, I think I might lose respect for you."

Arlong snorted. "There's a reason for it. But it's not important to you." He straightened, standing up fully. Were she not use to him towering over her, she would probably think he was trying to intimidate her.

"If it wasn't important, I wouldn't even bother asking for a reason." Aria said. The saw-tooth fishman raised a brow at her, wondering why she always had to be so damn haughty.

Arlong considered it. He lost nothing by explaining it to her, but if he didn't, she would probably raise just enough hell to be obnoxious.

"Your ambitions are my ambitions now." Aria said, sealing the deal. The little knowing smirk on her face let him know that even though that was true, she would still try and manipulate him for her own goals. He could respect that. It wasn't like he wasn't going to do the same.

"My, my. I think you might be a favorite soon with thinking like that." Arlong grinned. "It's good that you know how being my subordinate works." Aria merely smirked in return. "I suppose you don't know much about human-fishman relations."

Arlong was surprised when Aria didn't immediately agree. Instead she raised a fine brow, thinking before she spoke. "Fishmen were not so rare back on Aqua Atlus, but they're definitely a rare sight here. I know that mostly you stay centered around the Grand Line, particularly your home island. But other than that, no, I don't know much about it."

Arlong was still surprised that she had seen fishmen before. He hadn't expected anyone in this backwater sea to even know what a fishman was, but Aria was always constantly surprising him and catching him off guard. It explained why she had seemed so unafraid when he first came knocking on her door, more than her arrogance from her devil fruit power had.

But she _was_ arrogant, wasn't she? Just like all of her kind. She had looked at him with a dismissive sneer, one that reminded him of Borsalino. Arlong found himself clenching his fists.

"Fishmen usually stay around Fishman Island, yes. Many don't dare to venture away from it." Arlong crossed his arms and scowled. "It's quite unfortunate. We should rule the seas, just as a result of our race's natural talents. But we don't. Do you know why?"

"Is it a lack of population?" Aria tried, before dismissing that idea with a shake of her head. "No, with your formidable bodies, there's no way you wouldn't have a strong population." Arlong smirked at her as she tapped her lipped thoughtfully. He did so enjoy the fact that Aria recognized how much stronger they were than her. She knew her place, even if her tongue needed to be leashed.

"We use to live on the surface as easily as humans, but like vermin the human race quickly overpopulated." Arlong continued as Aria tilted her head, listening to his words with more curiosity than he'd ever seen on her. His hate rolled off him in waves, and the only reason Aria barely restrained herself from flinching at the sudden pressure he was exuding was because she was so interested in what he had to say. "Taking over any island they could, even if they were the most inhospitable, and taking arms against any locals."

"Humans drove us to the very bottom of the sea with their disgusting thoughts of superiority and fear of the unknown. Their arrogance and fear made them a blight to fishman kind." Aria hummed thoughtfully. Strange that Arlong's hatred was a by-product of human fear. He had taken their hatred against his race and allowed it to fuel his own, almost like a perfect reflection of humanity's hate and greed. It was certainly a different perspective than the fishmen she had known back home, but it explained the Deapsea Pirate's wariness towards outsiders and how eager they had been to sink anyone who dared come too close to Aqua Atlus without proper identification.

"Rightfully, we fishman should be the ones on the surface. But it's far too dangerous with slavers lurking about right outside our home." Arlong sneered. Aria's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.

"What? That's still a thing?" Aria had known that outsiders were cruel, were greedy, would see others as lesser beings. But to go so far as to enslave another? Her back itched.

Arlong gave her a look. "Of course it is. Human nobles just love putting mermaids and fishmen in tanks and poking at them." Arlong scowled at the thought. He took off his hat to run his hand through his hair aggressively. "Disgusting." Arlong sneered as he replaced it.

Aria bit her lip, her eyes narrowing as she processed the information. There was definitely reason for fishmen to be wary of humans, then. The way Arlong spoke, perhaps even someone he knew had become a slave. And Marie Jois was right above Fishman Island, if she remembered her geography right. The biggest headquarter of nobles, holding their fishman slaves captive by perhaps only several tens of thousands of meters. Aria shivered at the concept of having something like that living above her. Knowing that the worst of humanity was just above her.

"So you want an empire for vengeance against humans for pushing fishmen to the ocean? To take back your rightful place on the surface?"

Arlong grunted, tightening his arms and glaring at the space beside her. Aria would rather he just glared at her instead of trying to be polite about his hatred, but he was surprisingly thoughtful about his word choices when he knew she was listening. "Something like that. I want a place where fishmen can live without persecution on the surface. Building an empire here is the easiest way to achieve that."

Aria tapped her lips, thoughtfully. It was a much different motivation than she expected. Certainly, she had hoped there was more than a surface-level reason, but Arlong's reasoning seemed almost...altruistic. For his kin, at least. Aria smirked at the idea. "Perhaps you won't be so bad to follow after all, captain."

Arlong blinked owlishly, caught off guard by her sudden...praise? Respect? He couldn't tell what it was, but he enjoyed it. He covered up his surprise with a cocky smirk. "Of course not. I'm a fair man, and as long as I get what I want, things will be simple for you."

"Good. I hope so." Her eyes flickered over to the map of Mata Nui. "I would like everything to go smoothly."

Arlong noticed the slight apprehension in her voice, and his grin widened. "Don't be nervous, Aria-chan. I wouldn't let my newest crewmate die so soon."

Arlong was surprised when her steely eyes met his dead-on, gauging his words for any hint of deceit. It was the first time she had actually intentionally initiated it, and he hoped he looked sincere instead of like he had a shit-eating grin on his face. As she peered into his soul, trying to gauge his veracity, he noted that her eyes were actually blue instead of the cold grey he initially assumed. There were plenty of grey flecks within them, creating the harshness he had seen, but he doubted he would be able to ignore the overwhelming amount of coral blue there any longer. And then it ended as abruptly as it began, as Aria tore her gaze from his to turn up her nose. "As if I would die to marines."

Arlong couldn't help but laugh. "You sure are sure of yourself for someone who got knocked on her ass this morning."

Aria merely shrugged and slid her hands into her pockets. "I won't need to hold back against them."

Arlong scoffed at her bravado. "Whatever you say, Aria-chan. Get back to work, will you?" He waved her off and returned to his maps, surprisingly in a better mood after her interruption. Aria didn't linger, and decided her time would be better spent reviewing mechanical engineering instead of huffing at Arlong's mockery.

Hours later, the hermit found herself lounging in Arlong's room, sitting on the couch and trying to read as the sun set. Her stomach growled, but she wasn't interested in the amount of social effort it would take to go find food. She wondered idly if Hachi would find out she hadn't visited the mess hall and would bring her food again, or if that was a one time thing.

"He doesn't trust you in the slightest, you know." Said a harsh voice. Aria glanced up from her book to see Nami at the door, scowling at her. There were only a few people who that comment could be applied to, but only one that Aria knew for certain that Nami hated.

"Well, I would hope not. That would be rather dumb of him." Aria replied, after realizing Nami wanted an answer.

Nami crossed her arms. "He's not going to trust you at all unless you make a deal with him." Aria didn't doubt she was speaking from experience, but...

"Why would I make a deal with him? He doesn't have anything I want."

"You could pay him to leave you alone."

Aria considered that. The hermit did like her isolation, after all. "Mm, no, I like my money too much."

Nami scoffed at that. "What do you even spend it on? Clothes? _Books_?"

"Yes." Aria replied simply. "I like both of those things." The clothes were more of a splurge than she was usually comfortable with, but the books were a necessity. It was surprising that Nami didn't see that.

"I can't believe you would choose money over people's lives. Arlong has killed people, you know!" Nami looked truly frustrated at how indifferent Aria was. It was a mystery to the scientist, but not one she intended to solve.

Aria flipped to the next page of her book. "Mm, I would have had first-hand experience with that, had I not joined him."

Nami didn't have a response for that. Instead she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "He's only having you stay in this room with him because he doesn't trust you not to cause trouble. He did that with me, too."

Aria blinked at the information. She had somewhat guessed that might be the case, because they clearly had guest rooms that she could use, and Arlong kept wearing that damn sea stone ring to bed, but having Nami stay in a room with him was something she hadn't expected. It hindsight, perhaps she should have. Aria doubted Arlong Park had been built for long, and they had to keep an eye on Nami somehow while it was being constructed.

"I'm sorry?" Aria tried. She wasn't really sure what Nami wanted from her. Everyone else was pretty clear in their intentions, but Nami seemed to have some weird hate-fascination with her.

That seemed to throw Nami off guard. "N-no, it's fine. I just...don't trust Arlong, okay? He's a bad guy. And he doesn't trust you."

Aria nodded. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind."

Nami smiled brightly, but she seemed flustered now that she had made progress. "N-not everyone here is bad, like Hachi. But these guys are all pirates. They'll hurt people at Mata Nui. And I'd really rather you not..."

Aria waited for Nami to finish her sentence, but it never happened. Still, the meaning was clear. "I can't promise what's going to happen there." Aria murmured, and she closed her book. She stood and stretched a bit, before walking over to the child. "I understand the dangers of working with a man like Arlong, Nami. I understand that I'm probably going to have to do some bad things to keep going. But sometimes you have to do bad things. It doesn't make you bad. It just means you're trying to deal with the hand you're dealt."

Nami frowned as she thought about Aria's words. "I'm going to have to do bad things too." Aria nodded solemnly. She leaned against the doorframe and watched the child try to comprehend that. Nami clenched her fist. "They weren't forced to kill Bellemere. They just did it. They're awful people."

"Yeah." Aria agreed.

"I know...I know you're just going to try and deal with all of this, Hermit-chan." Nami bit her lip before she continued. "But I don't want you to be bad, too. Don't become one of them."

Aria frowned softly. "Why does it matter if I do or don't?"

"..." Nami met Aria's eyes, with some emotion in them that the hermit couldn't interpret. "You try really hard to be alone." Aria nodded. "Before, I had Gen-san and Bellemere and Nojiko-nee and even Dr. Nako looking out for me, telling me when to stop when I was acting badly. But you don't have anyone."

Aria cocked her head. "So?"

Nami frowned up at her. "You'll just do what you want and not even know when you've turned bad, is what I'm saying! No one will be there to tell you to stop. I want to..."

Aria blinked owlishly at the orange-haired little girl. "...No, I think I'll be fine." Nami's mouth dropped open, and she squared her shoulders up, but apparently thought better of whatever she had intended to do and sighed heavily. Aria's stomach chose that time to growl again, and the hermit had to feign innocence in front of a girl that only came up to her belly-button.

"...No one's going to be there to force you to feed yourself, either."

"I'm okay with that."

"...You're just as bad as Bellemere." Nami grumbled, before taking Aria's hand and dragging her down the stairs. "You're eating."

Despite all of Aria's protests, she let the girl drag her to the mess hall. Arlong laughed at the two of them, especially when Nami petulantly refused to look away from the hermit. Aria childishly made sure to disappear the second the actual child turned her back, but considering she made off with a plate of food, Nami considered it a victory.

* * *

Aria didn't want to sleep. She was too full of anxious energy. Despite the facade she had presented to Nami, she was nervous about Mata Nui. Arlong had mentioned an initiation, but hadn't mentioned what it involved. Aria didn't want to ask.

She worked until she was too exhausted to focus her eyes on the metal in front of her, before dragging herself to bed.

* * *

"Aria-san, you're late!" Gajeel said, glowering at her weakly as she stepped into the metalshop.

"Sorry, I was training with Arlong again and he just left me unconscious on the floor again." Aria tried to not think of how sore her muscles were going to be later. He'd kept her on her toes the entire time, up until she scored a lucky blow. Already she could feel her muscles protesting their over-use. She didn't even bother taking a bath this time to help soothe them, not fond of the idea of Arlong waltzing in on her again.

Dresden snickered as he inspected a blade he was repairing. "People were saying he was getting soft on us already, letting you and Nami-chan into the crew, but obviously they were wrong if he keeps doing that."

"Why would that make him soft? He's only had us join so that he could use our talents." Aria asked, before covering her face with a welding mask. She intended to practice with a few of the more advanced techniques today, so that perhaps she could start working on an alpha prototype by nightfall.

"Ah, back when we were in the Grand Line, we escorted a human kid back home as a side-quest sort of thing." Gajeel explained absently as he poured molten metal into a cast. "He _hated_ her, even though she was only a year or so older than Nami-chan is now."

"Why'd he take the job if he hated the kid?"

"He wasn't in charge back then, it wa-, hey, why'd you do that?!" Gajeel snapped at Dresden, who had prodded him sharply. Dresden made a shushing motion, and Gajeel deflated. "Anyway, it's not like we'd mind if he dialed it back a bit. Dresden 'n I just wanna be able to work, fight, and die together."

"Don't be such a sap, you're gonna make me blush, dammit." Dresden grumbled, though he had a wide smile on his face.

Behind her mask, Aria smiled. She knew there was a ride-or-die aspect to nakama, but the way Dresden and Gajeel did it was sweet. They were massive, bulky fishmen who used their full-strength in their everyday jobs, but at the same time they would do things like hold hands in the cafeteria and bicker like an old married couple. They'd mentioned they had been sweethearts since they were teens on Fishman Island, and Aria could see it was true by how seamlessly they worked together.

Aria had a few crushes on the girls back on Aqua Atlus, but she was always too absorbed in her work and dealing with her Abroader courses to actually pursue a relationship. She had barely managed to maintain a few acquaintances, let alone a proper friendship or significant other. Then when she came to Conomi, she had isolated herself as to not distract from her work. The thought of finding someone she could rely on like Gajeel and Dresden did seemed improbable, especially now that meeting Arlong's demands took up so much of her time and energy.

At least she had her romance novels and daydreams. It was nice to imagine that she could have just one person she adored so much that she would do anything for them.

* * *

Nami returned from her final scouting mission for Mata Nui with a genuine grin on her face.

Arlong had said he would give her a day off if she could finish up all of her sea charts before the raid, and Nami really wanted to spend a day helping Nojiko with the orchard. The last time she had seen her sister, Nojiko had seemed so exhausted to be doing all that work by herself. If Nami could help her just a little bit, she would feel so much better.

Nami locked herself up in her room until the moon was shining through her window and her oil lamp needed to be refilled. She stretched, trying to work out all the kinks that were causing her body to protest, and decided she ought to find something to eat before bed. Tomorrow she would finish up the charts, and Arlong would honor their promise.

Nami wandered down to the kitchen, grateful that it was deserted and that there weren't any men lingering about. She could make herself a sandwich in peace.

Nami had just finished making her food when the door creaked open, and she jumped, nearly dropping her sandwich in the process.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Came Aria's tired voice. She looked exhausted, Nami noted as she watched Aria dig through the fridge. Aria found some veggies and some dressing, and made quick work turning them into a salad. "You're up late again." Aria said, hopping up on the countertop to eat.

"So are you." Nami pointed out.

Aria laughed gently. "Suppose so."

"I'm just going to eat and then I'm going to bed. I've been working really hard on all the charts Arlong wants done." Nami informed, sighing in exhaustion before taking a giant bite of her sandwich.

Aria recalled the maps she had seen the other day. Did Nami draw those? If so, Nami was gifted for her age. "I saw some of your maps, I think. You've been working really hard to hone your skills, huh?"

Nami couldn't believe the hermit was actually praising her. This seemed like a dream, something her younger self would have adored years ago. "Y-yeah, I have been!" She agreed, nodding her head in excitement. "I want to draw a map of the whole world some day, so I have to be really good at it!"

Aria made an impressed noise, all she could manage with her mouth full of salad. A few moments later, she added, "I'm surprised you have such an impressive goal. That's good for a kid, to know what they want to work towards." Thinking further on it, that's probably why Arlong stole her navigation books...He didn't seem to mind giving Nami the resources to fulfill her dream, so long as she worked hard for him.

"Yeah...Bellemere was super impressed at my dream, too...I hope I can buy Cocoyashi quickly, so I can turn all my energy to that…" Nami said wistfully.

Aria raised a brow. "Buy Cocoyashi?"

Nami nodded. "Arlong said that if I raised enough money, he'd let me buy Cocoyashi from him. But in return, I had to become a pirate until then."

So that's how Nami had wound up in Arlong's claws. "I wonder if he'd truly let you and the villagers be free." Aria mused aloud. Then again, it let Arlong have a lot of power over the child. Nami seemed so determined, enough to willingly train with Kuroobi and go scouting with Chew.

"He will!" Nami assured. "Arlong's a jerk, and a bad guy, but...he told me he'd rather die than break a promise involving money."

Aria still felt skeptical. "And you believed him? I don't think he'd lie, but...you're really good, and your talent would be hard to replace."

Nami frowned. "I didn't at first, but...Hachi said Arlong loves money more than anything, and that money is the only thing he trusts other than fishmen. Hachi wouldn't lie to me. He's too dumb for that."

Aria snickered, completely agreeing. Hachi had tried lying to her once over something ridiculous, and it fell apart within seconds, and he apologized for even trying. Aria had been too amused to even get upset.

Nami wondered if there was anything Aria would do to gain her freedom, but as she opened her mouth to ask, the hermit was sliding off the countertop, finished with her food. "I'm heading to bed. Don't stay up too late, it's bad for you."

"You stay up later than I do!" Nami watched Aria disappear from view as she considered what Arlong and Aria could possibly agree on. Perhaps Nami could buy Aria's freedom, too? She didn't know.

Nami shook her head. No, Aria wasn't her problem. She needed to focus on saving Cocoyashi first. Then she could worry about everything else. She had to save her sister, who was already so exhausted from trying to meet Arlong's tribute.

* * *

Aria was surprised to see that Arlong wasn't in the his room. It was nearly two in the morning, and even she was considering the sweet embrace of sleep. After their training session in the morning, she had only seen Arlong around lunchtime before disappearing into the small workshop out back that had just been finished hours earlier, solely for her use (it was crude and small but it smelled of fresh wood and Aria couldn't help but smile at the memory of the warm feeling in her chest when Gajeel told her it was _hers_ or the stupid little plaque above the door that read _Hermit Hole_ that Dresden had made). She hadn't seen him on her way up from the kitchen, either, but it wasn't like she had thoroughly explored the floors she'd passed.

Perhaps she could use the alone time to take a bath. Aria had been avoiding it all day after yesterday's fiasco, but the thought of going to bed sweaty and grimy made her grimace. She grabbed a soft, clean tanktop and some airy shorts to change into for bed, still not comfortable around Arlong enough to sleep in the more revealing sleepwear she preferred.

The tub filled slowly, and Aria made sure to add lots of bubbles in case she was interrupted again. She brushed her teeth and examined her tattoo, still marveling at the work. Arlong was surprisingly artistic, something she hadn't expected at all from the man who ripped her front door off its hinges. She hadn't thought she could be friends with him, but slowly they were working up from their mafia boss and petulant worker relationship. Somehow, she'd even managed to make proper friends, maybe? She wanted to be cautious, tentatively labeling Kakuzu and Dresden and Gajeel as friends, but perhaps they didn't see it the same. She enjoyed their company, and what information they had to offer, and they seemed to like her despite all her prickles and walls.

Aria sunk into the tub, and rested her chin on her arms as she leaned against the brim of the tub, full of happy thoughts. She had dreaded coming to Arlong Park, but it hadn't been too bad. The initial introduction and welcoming party had been anxiety-ridden messes, but since then she had managed well enough. Aria was still surprised she had managed to have _fun_ , playing music with the crew. Perhaps being a pirate wouldn't be too bad.

The bathroom door opened, and Aria threw all of that out the window. "Here you are." Arlong said, exasperated like he'd been searching for her for hours. "You better have not used up all the hot water."

Aria cracked open an eye. "I haven't been here long enough to know how big your water tank is. Why does it matter, anyway?"

Arlong strode over to the sink and began preparing to brush his teeth. "Because I'm going to take a shower, obviously." He turned on the faucet and wet his toothbrush. Idly, Aria wondered how much money he spent on those. They couldn't last long, not with his teeth that were made to tear through flesh and bone. Then what he said fully hit her, and she flushed. Arlong didn't notice her plight, or the fact that she had closed her eyes and hidden her face in her arms, and continued with an irritated grumble, "we went over to Mata Nui to make sure the maps Nami's been making were accurate and that she wasn't just fucking with us, but that was a long swim. I should've kept some of the boats instead of just having Hachi sink all of them."

Aria recovered just in time to look like she was bored and relaxing with her eyes closed as Arlong turned around, finished with his dental hygiene. He huffed and grabbed a towel, tossing it near the shower. He doubted Aria would care in the slightest at him undressing, considering how she wasn't even bothering to look at him when he spoke. Perhaps she was too tired to mind. Arlong turned his back to her and undressed. It was his room, after all, and she was just a guest.

He turned on the shower and grimaced at the cold water, turning the spigot until he was sure it would be hot soon. He waited a few painfully long moments, and the water got no warmer. He turned the spigot some more, and kept waiting. The water remained disgustingly cold. Arlong growled, and turned the spigot as far as it would go. After waiting for a few more futile moments, he turned the shower off.

"You used all the damn hot water." Arlong snapped.

Aria shrugged unapologetically, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a coy little smirk. "Guess you'll have to take a bath." She teased. Arlong growled, but the idea wasn't a bad one. Arlong was pretty sure Aria didn't know that communal bathing wasn't that big a deal to most sea-folk. Sure, Aria was a human, but as he'd thought before, this was his fucking room.

It was also the perfect way to get back at her. "Guess I will." Arlong agreed, and he had to try so, _so_ hard not to snicker when Aria's shoulders visibly tensed and she scowled. But she didn't open her eyes and she gave him a flippant wave of her hand after the initial shock had passed, and Arlong grinned.

The water sloshed as he sat down in the tub, the water rising to accommodate all the space he took up. It was a good thing Aria hadn't filled it all the way to the brim, otherwise it would have overflowed. Surprisingly, the water didn't seem to have lost any of its heat, even though he was sure Aria had been here for a while. There was a strange rippling through the water, one that wasn't visible through all the bubbles but was very noticeable now that he was surrounded by it.

The ripples came in timed intervals, and Arlong thought back to when he had first grilled Aria on uses for her soundwaves. She had mentioned sound being able to conduct heat, hadn't she? Well, there was only one way to make sure. "Mm, are you using your powers to keep the water warm?"

"Of course."

Arlong scoffed. "You nerd." He grumbled, but it was amiable. Aria merely smiled in response. She seemed content to just sit there and relax, despite the fact that he sat beside her now. "Why didn't you just heat up the water like this instead of taking it all?"

"Too much effort." Aria said, sticking her tongue out for a moment. Arlong laughed at her cheek. She had certainly grown more comfortable around him, hadn't she? Arlong considered it a win, especially after he remembered how sick she had looked at the prospect of socializing with the crew. He had made a big gamble, bringing her off her island in hopes of fostering trust between the crew and the hermit, but so far it had paid off. There was just one more day until the raid, and Arlong hoped it would be enough to truly win her loyalty.

If not, well...The bottom of the ocean would be the hermit's new home.

That thought didn't bring him as much vicious joy as it use to, he noted.

There was no use worrying about that, so Arlong brushed it aside and instead sunk further into the hot, bubbly water. His muscles were use to long swims, but he'd been so tense lately that they were sore. The frequent vibrations and the heat soothed him, and Arlong could see why Aria insisted on soaking so much after exerting herself.

After Impel Down, Arlong had avoided anything resembling a bath, preferring to take showers so that he wouldn't have to remember the indignities he'd faced in that shitty human prison. He'd almost not even had one built in his room, baring his teeth when it was suggested. He still wasn't thrilled with its existence. But right now, it was more than tolerable, and idly he considered doing it more often.

"I'm getting out." Aria announced. "Keep your eyes closed."

Arlong scoffed, "as if I would be interested in a human," but did as requested. Aria hummed faintly as she dried herself off and dressed. "Put some lotion on your tattoo." Arlong reminded before she left.

"Ah, right…" Aria had been so focused on leaving she completely forgot that she needed to tend to the mark. In her defense, she really hadn't expected Arlong to follow her teasing, and hadn't been able to think of much more than how to feign nonchalance. Thankfully, Arlong truly was more interested in bathing than being a pervert. Aria was grateful she wasn't on his menu, but at the same time she wished her future captain was respectful enough to let her bathe in private. She knew he owned the place, so it wasn't like he had to flaunt it.

Still, she had managed to relax enough to be ready for bed. It had been a long day, and tomorrow was looking like it would be even longer. The final day of preparation, of training, of proving herself capable enough to be a member of the Arlong Pirates.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

She couldn't fuck it up too much, could she?

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Arlong snarled and drove his elbow into her side, but it was only a glancing blow. Aria slipped into sound just in time, as Arlong swiped at her repeatedly. "Goddamn logia." Arlong growled.

* * *

AN: This chapter was really interesting for me to write because with the way I've made Aria's character in my head, she's a very isolated person who never has tried to make friends before. They're something for other people. But Hachi has made nakama sound interesting, and while Aria doubts she can have close enough bonds with the crew to be 'nakama,' she's still making a lot more progress now than she ever has.

I was hoping to show that a lot with the last scene, wanting it to be more of a "I'm trusting you so much more than I use to" sort of deal for both Arlong & Aria versus a romantic moment. Not sure if I pulled it off, but I hope so...! I'm weak for trust-showing tropes, & I feel like Arlong would definitely have a mental tally of what he's been doing to make sure he builds as much trust from Aria before he ultimately tests it.

I'm so happy I managed to get a positive moment between Aria and Nami. Usually their interactions are so, so tense and awkward.

Next chapter will be a bit NSFW, but not enough for a rating change.


	12. Charming the Beast

**Chapter 12:** Charming the Beast

* * *

Arlong's mirth was easily apparent. He was toying with Aria, and that pissed her off. Sure, she would never match his raw strength or his fighting experience, but the least he could do is act like their training wasn't a joke. After all, he was the one who wanted her to fight.

Irritated, Aria slipped into her intangible form and came at Arlong from behind with a kick. However, he was faster than her, as always, and grabbed her ankle before her foot even came close to hitting him. Aria yelped as Arlong flipped her in a single fluid movement, and grimaced as she crashed into the floor.

"You could at least try to be less predictable." Arlong tutted, and Aria bit back her scathing reply. Instead, she pulled herself up and tried to hit him again. This time, she didn't bother making the transition between tangible and not silently, and the loud crackling sound made Arlong wince.

Aria aimed for his gills, the most obvious weak spot, and tried slamming her fist into them with an extra amount of unpleasant frequencies. She didn't meet her mark physically, but Arlong's growl told her that her focused waves did. Again, she was flipped and landed roughly on her back. Aria sputtered indignantly, and glared at Arlong.

"That was cheap." Arlong sneered, whatever enjoyment he had felt now replaced with ire. He rubbed his gilled shoulder, and grimaced at the lingering pain.

"You told me to go for any weak spots I could." Aria reminded, smirking at her small victory.

"Not mine." Arlong replied, petulantly. Aria would've laughed at the way he whined slightly, but she was sure he would knock her out for it. He'd done that two days ago, when Aria had managed to score a scraping blow after hours of failure the day before and had whooped triumphantly. She had woken up on the floor and Arlong was long gone, the sun high in the sky.

Arlong was kind of a brat, she had decided. Still, his moods were so easy to read, even for her.

"Then take this more seriously." Aria said. "I would like to learn _something_ today." Aria charged at Arlong again, this time aiming for his knees. She probably couldn't get him to fall down, but it would be fun to see him get annoyed that she tried.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Arlong merely smacked her away, snickering as she stumbled back and almost hit a lamp off the table. "If you break that, you buy it."

"Then don't make us fight in your room!" Aria grumbled as she steadied the lamp. She transitioned into noise and shrieked past him, grinning as the frequencies made him wince. She slipped behind him and whispered into his ear, "and I'm saying you're a shit teacher."

Arlong snarled and drove his elbow into her side, but it was only a glancing blow. Aria slipped into sound just in time, as Arlong swiped at her repeatedly. "Goddamn logia." Arlong growled.

Aria snickered, and funneled frequencies towards his legs. Arlong's dark blue capris now bore several cuts and frays. "These are fucking expensive, you sound bitch!" Arlong snarled as he tried swiping at her again.

"Don't wear good clothes to a brawl!" Aria chided as she phased through his hits. "That's just common sense!" Aria slipped behind him long enough to kick at the back of Arlong's knee, but she was tangible long enough for Arlong to grab her arm. Aria grimaced at his rough grasp and was surprised when he tackled her to the floor. He pinned her arms above her head and left his knees on either side of her legs, mouth poised dangerously over her neck.

"I should fucking impale you for your insolence, woman." Arlong snarled into her face, his breath hot and moist. Aria tried moving away, but Arlong held firm. The sea-stone ring sapped at her strength and left her unable to flee, but that didn't mean she intended to back down in the slightest.

"Then just have Kuroobi train me if you can't take this seriously." Aria replied dryly, trying her hardest to squirm out of his grasp. It wasn't going to happen.

Arlong pursed his lips. "I would, if he would fucking take you. But he would rather send you into battle untrained, because he doesn't trust you in the slightest."

Aria scoffed. "That's ironic, considering he felt like he had to come to my island and give me a 'we're a crew' speech." Aria stopped struggling and decided to change gears. Arlong was only going to let her go if he felt like it.

Arlong chuckled lowly. "Well, you will be after tomorrow. If you live that long."

"I might not." Aria agreed, causing Arlong to grow suspicious. The way she smirked slyly caused him to scowl. "I might just impale myself on your pointy-ass nose. Too frustrated with poor training." Arlong growled.

"Fine, then." Arlong released Aria's hands, and she quickly pulled them to her chest and rubbed them. "I doubt you know how to out-think a more powerful opponent, but let's have this be a little exercise." Arlong glowered down at Aria malevolently, and she put on her best overconfident smirk.

"That's actually what I'm best at. Why face an opponent head-on when you can just run away?" She taunted, and Arlong rolled his eyes.

"Without your devil fruit powers, you cheap logia." Arlong tacked on. Aria only pouted for a few moments. Now that her hands were free, she was much more flexible with her options. Time to put her expertise into action.

Aria reached up and brushed her lithe fingers against Arlong's cheeks. The sudden contact surprised him, and he furrowed his brow in suspicion. "Arlong, if I relied only on my devil fruit powers, I never would have gotten this far." Aria purred, as she brushed an errant hair out of Arlong's face and tucked it behind his ear. Arlong tensed, completely at a loss by her gentle and affectionate gesture, and Aria knew she'd win this.

"Aqua Atlus is like the academic Amazon Lily, you know." Aria purred, ghosting fingertips down his cheek, blunt nails lightly scraping his neck. "Full of women. But we're a scientific nation. Focused on our minds and out-thinking those who would hurt us. We're fragile, and soft. Not built for fighting, so we have to outsource. Humans are too soft to hunt the Sea Kings that made up our primary food source. But fishmen aren't."

Arlong tilted his head in curiosity, inhaling sharply as Aria brushed gently against his adam's apple. "Fishmen are popular there, you know? Strong fighters." Aria halted her fingers against Arlong's carotid artery, feeling his pulse. It was elevated. "But also, strong husbands. Strong lovers. Humans couldn't possibly compare, could they Arlong? They're so weak."

"Of course." Arlong muttered, voice throatier than usual, and Aria ran the pad of her thumb against his cheek rewardingly. Arlong's pulse came quicker as her fingers brushed against his thin lips, and Aria smiled sweetly up at him.

"Fishmen are so much stronger." Arlong merely grunted in agreement, distracted by the fact Aria's fingers were dancing along his collarbone. "I knew that before you even arrived. How amazing fishmen were." Aria slid her hand across Arlong's wide shoulder, and down his arm until she reached his balled fist. Arlong shivered at her touch, mouth agape. Gently, she took his hand, ignoring his hesitation. She brushed her thumb against his, and pressed his open palm against her chest.

"What are you doing?" Arlong asked huskily. Aria gave him a reassuring smile to ease his firm lips, and squeezed his hand.

"Even your hands are built stronger." Aria purred, and Arlong took the hints, cupping her covered breast and running a thumb over the fabric. Aria gasped at the touch, and Arlong smirked.

"Telling me what I want to hear won't get you fucked, woman." Arlong chided, teasingly. Despite that, he squeezed her breast again, and grinned when Aria whimpered.

"Are you sure?" Aria asked, fluttering her eyelashes at Arlong. He licked his lips, considering it. Aria took the opportunity to grasp his hand and slide it ever so slowly down her body, making sure he felt every curve, until she finally rested it over his mark on her thigh.

As his stance wavered, Aria gently pushed him up, and shifted so she was sitting, his face just inches from hers. Arlong squeezed her thigh appreciatively, and Aria moaned softly into his ear. Arlong cursed, and suddenly she was sitting on his lap, straddling him, his webbed hand firmly on her waist. Aria brushed her lips against the gills she had injured earlier, kissing them apologetically, and Arlong ground himself against her. Oh, she hadn't expected him to get that aroused.

Arlong cupped her ass and squeezed, and Aria moaned louder than she intended. "If only you made such nice sounds all the time." Arlong purred into her ear, and she shivered. This had gone far enough, and Aria was enjoying this much more than she ever intended to.

Despite thinking that, Aria turned to Arlong with a sultry smile. "They wouldn't be as rewarding then." She replied, breathily. Arlong licked his lips in anticipation as Aria's mouth hovered just inches below his, carefully avoiding his nose. Her hands cupped his face as she slowly closed the distance. When Arlong's eyes fluttered shut, Aria laughed triumphantly, and that was all the warning he had before she slugged him in the face.

Arlong hit the floor just as Aria quickly dematerialized and flew to a safe distance across the room. In seconds, Arlong was back up, snarling and angry.

"You fucking _bitch_." Arlong boomed, and Aria quickly regretted her plan. She tensed, waiting for Arlong's enraged charge, but it never came. Instead, he merely glared at her hatefully from across the room. After several moments of silence, Arlong spat, "What? No witty comment?"

"To be honest, I'm just waiting for you to try and kill me." Aria quipped, before quickly wishing that the ocean would rise and drown her.

"I'm definitely considering it." Arlong sneered in response, rubbing his cheek. "God, you're a low bitch." Arlong muttered, and Aria had to resist laughing at the slight whine to his words.

"Well, it certainly was a memorable training session." Aria said, wincing as Arlong glowered at her. "I definitely think I'll be sticking to running instead of fighting from now on."

"Rub salt in the fucking wounds, why don't you?" Arlong snarled, standing aggressively, and Aria decided to put her money where her mouth was.

"Dibs on bathroom!" Aria quickly grabbed some clothes she had left laying out and darted into the bathroom. Aria heard Arlong grumbled in annoyance, but he didn't follow her just yet, so she started preparing for her bath. Even if she had called dibs, Arlong would still be in here invading her privacy soon, and she would rather be in the tub pretending to nap when that happened.

Arlong came in just minutes after Aria had settled into a comfortable napping position, and it took everything in her power to not crack open an eyelid. Normally, she wouldn't even care about checking him out, but she doubted Arlong would leave her alive if she did after the stunt she had just pulled. She swallowed nervously at the sound of clothes hitting the floor, and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Aria-chan." Arlong said, and she jumped at his closeness. Aria expected him to be near the shower, not right behind her. Now she definitely didn't want to open her eyes.

"...Yeah?" Aria answered hesitantly.

"Don't _ever_ tease me like that again."

"...Okay."

Aria paid close attention to the sound of Arlong's footsteps, exhaling a breath she didn't know she'd been holding once she heard the shower turn on.

"Damn, that's cold." Arlong grumbled, and stepped into it immediately. Cautiously, Aria peeked over at him, and their eyes met for a too-long second before Aria clenched her eyes shut. Arlong snorted, but said nothing. There was nothing but awkward silence and tense air, and Aria found it hard to breathe.

After what felt like an eternity, Aria stepped out of the tub and dried herself off. Arlong's curious gaze had never felt so hungry before, and Aria had never been so quick to flee in her life.

* * *

Arlong would have fucked her on the floor if he could've. It had been far, far too long since he'd gotten laid, with a man or a woman. Arlong eyed Aria hungrily from the shower, admiring her soft shoulders and how her dark skin contrasted with the soft foamy bubbles.

Aria felt him watching her, though, and left much sooner than he wanted her to. Arlong groaned throatily after Aria flew from the bathroom, and cursed his stupidity.

In hindsight, it was painfully obvious was she had intended to do, what she had done. Aria had practically warned him, even. She distracted him from her soft touches by talking about her homeland, and by the time he realized she was trying to turn him on he was already prone to her soft, husky voice and featherlight touches.

God damn, did she know how to work him. The way she purred was enough to entice him, but then she had to run her hands along his skin. Thankfully he'd been wearing a tanktop instead of his normal open button-down, or he had no doubt she would've run her fingers all the way down to his pant's button.

The cold water was doing wonders to ease his erection, but Arlong's mind was still on fire. While Aria had definitely been preening his ego, Arlong hadn't expected her to say his name so silkily, or to moan so sweetly. If there was anything he was going to remember from this, it was that.

No. Arlong took that back, as he recalled the saccharine sweet smile Aria had given him. Or the way she had so slowly made sure he knew where every curve on her body was. God. He'd been sleeping next to her for almost a week now and hadn't given a shit about her sexually. Now he was going to be acutely aware. He'd already been so tempted to just join her in the tub and finish what she started.

Arlong snarled at himself. Even if Aria could speak honied words and arouse him with such simple touches, she was human. And there was no way that Arlong would ever sully himself by lying with such a lower creature ever again.

That's all there was to it. Arlong wasn't going to let himself down, not like that. Hatred reared up in him, and suddenly there was no overwhelming lust clouding his mind, just disgust. He had almost lost himself. Thank god she had intended to slug him instead of fuck him. He had to be the fishmen's hatred, their anger, their negativity. And no human woman was going to distract him or make him deviate in the slightest.

Arlong's resolve cleared his mind, and he was ever so grateful that they were going to take over Mata Nui tomorrow. All the blood and money would remind him just what was at stake. He had an empire to build, after all.

* * *

Aria spent the rest of the day avoiding Arlong the best she could. Any time he would show up in her line of sight, Aria would beeline it to the nearest exit. She wasn't being stealthy about it, either, but thankfully Hachi bought her excuses.

After spending a few hours with a blowtorch, Aria was feeling much more confident. At the very least, her first prototype was finally taking shape. It would only be a few more weeks before her machine would be field-ready, after the majority of the superior materials finally arrived. Aria wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad that she couldn't test them out tomorrow, so she settled on just enjoying the fact that she was making so much progress.

Aria stood up and stretched her muscles just as Arlong walked into her tiny makeshift lab. Inwardly, she cursed. There was absolutely no way she could avoid him. Aria pushed her faceplate up to rest on her head, and waited for Arlong to talk to her.

Arlong hummed approvingly as he studied the prototype. "Shame this won't be ready for use tomorrow." Arlong said. Aria nodded silently, not sure what to say. If Arlong noticed her hesitation, he didn't show it. "It's gonna be a big day for us."

"I know." Aria replied. Arlong studied her closely, and Aria tried her hardest to keep her expression neutral.

"I want you to stay by my side when we get there. Don't even think about running away." The threat hung in the air, and Aria pursed her lips together in annoyance.

"Where would I run to? I appreciate the fact that you're smart enough to not trust me just yet, but I'd appreciate it more if you would stop taking me for an idiot." Aria spoke more harshly than she intended, and she quickly regretted it.

Arlong grabbed her face and glowered down at her. "If you weren't an idiot, you wouldn't be speaking to your superior so bluntly." Aria gripped the torch in her hand tightly, trying her hardest not to whimper.

"...I'm sorry." Aria said genuinely, and was surprised when Arlong snorted. The hate in his eyes made her blood run cold.

"I'm not going to fall for any more of your manipulations, human." Arlong said lowly, and Aria swallowed. Her stunt earlier was going to have terrible consequences, wasn't it? "I'll forgive you, this time." He released her, and Aria's free hand flew to rub her face. Arlong turned to the machine and grinned as he studied it. "I might forgive your insolence forever if you keep making me things like this, Aria-chan."

"...Good to know. I'll keep working on it, then." Aria said evenly. Sometimes, his moodswings were too quick to follow.

"No." Arlong shook his head, and Aria tilted hers. "Come with me." She knitted her brows, thoroughly confused.

"Where are we going?"

"We're getting all the non-perishable shit you need, so all your errands will be done and you can get back to work after tomorrow's over and done with." Arlong replied, voice full of ice, and Aria hummed. It made sense, though she hated to tear herself away from the lab. She could spend the rest of today starting errands, and finish them up before she left, and then spend as much time as she wanted holed up in her proper workspace back home.

"I'm going to have to run upstairs." Arlong made a noncommittal noise, waving her off.

"I'll be waiting outside the gates." Aria found it strange that Arlong would be accompanying her, especially after this morning, but she pushed those thoughts away. Aria grimaced at the sight of the stairwell, and decided she still had more than enough energy to just skip the stairs. It would be easier to just go intangible and fly up the stairwell, and then come down normally. She met Arlong at the gates, impatiently tapping his foot despite the fact that he hadn't been waiting that long. Arlong looked at the bags she was carrying with suspicion. "What's that for?"

"I might as well drop these off at the tailor and pick up what I left last time." Aria answered casually, not stopping as she walked by. Arlong followed, but quickly passed her with his long legs. Aria grumbled at his long strides, and realized she'd have to pick up her pace if she wanted to keep up.

"What all are we grabbing?"

"Materials, fodder, probably some more seeds." Aria dug into one of the bags and pulled out a shopping list. She frowned at the nearly torn paper and the fading letters. "Mm, definitely need to get new pens…"

"What do you usually get? Hachi could start bringing you things, he likes running around town well enough."

"No, it's fine, I usually stock up so I don't have to come back frequently. I've measured how much I need for my supplies to last me months, anyway." Arlong didn't doubt that, having seen how meticulous she was in noting everything else she did on her island.

"How did you haul everything back in that shitty boat?" Arlong wondered aloud, the mere thought of it causing him to smirk. Aria had such scrawny arms, it was entertaining to imagine her hauling anything heavier than fifty pounds, let alone rowing it to her island.

Aria merely shrugged in indifference. "I just made multiple trips. Grocery day is usually an all-day affair."

Arlong's brows rose in surprise. He didn't imagine people would just let her leave her purchases unattended. He hummed thoughtfully. "I'm surprised the villagers didn't pester you."

Aria shrugged again. "They tried to. That girl you brought to me, in particular." Arlong turned to her, curious. Aria expertly avoided his analytical gaze, and continued speaking with a tone heavy in annoyance and boredom, like she was remembering some particularly taxing chore. "Her and her family always tried to get me to pay attention to them."

"Did you?" Thinking back, Arlong didn't think Nami and Aria interacted with any degree of familiarity. There had been a bit of recognition between the two, but nothing that indicated Aria knew anything about Nami. Nami had seemed very interested in Aria, however, and had pestered Arlong with questions all the way back to the compound.

"Nah. Wasn't interested in making friends." Arlong snorted, unsurprised. He raised a brow when Aria snickered to herself. "They'll be ever so surprised when I show up with you, getting things."

Arlong nodded. "That's the entire reason I'm coming." Aria cocked her head in confusion. "They ran Nami out of town when she showed up with my tattoo. It would be unpleasant for you to also be run out." Surprised flickered over her face, before morphing into a pensive frown.

"I had wondered why you were bothering to come." Aria admitted, and Arlong noticed her body was tensed now. Her eyes flickered around the rice paddies, taking note of the farmers tending their crops. Likewise, the farmers were taking note of her, of him. They were too spread out to start whispering conspiratorially, but Arlong knew the second they passed they would huddle together and begin creating rumors.

"They wouldn't be stupid enough to attack while I'm around." Arlong consoled, and Aria hummed in agreement. It wasn't enough to make her relax, however, and Aria sped up until they were walking side-by-side.

"I doubt they'd have much anger towards me personally joining your crew. However…" Aria pursed her lips. "Just the concept of someone 'betraying' the village might upset them."

"Did they even consider you part of them?"

"I guess? My epitaph is 'the Cocoyashi Hermit,' after all."

Arlong snickered. "Maybe they'll change it to 'the Arlong Hermit,' after tomorrow."

Aria smirked at that. "It doesn't roll off the tongue as well, I'm afraid." She snickered as well, covering her mouth with her palm to hide her spreading grin. "It just makes it sound like you're a hermit crab instead of a shark."

Arlong made a face, and Aria giggled. The sound surprised him, because he hadn't ever heard her laugh genuinely. Aria was fond of mocking laughter, of haughty laughter. The sound of her laughing combined with her covering her mouth to hide her teeth was cute, Arlong noticed.

"Well, we're here. Where's our first stop?" Arlong asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and glancing around the village.

"Tailor's, they close soon." Aria chirped, and Arlong followed her as she made her way through town, ignoring the surprised gazes of the townspeople far better than he expected. Truthfully, he was surprised the villagers weren't hiding in their homes like they usually were when he visited. Aria must have been a rare sight, because people were gaping at her instead of him. A few people's gazes dropped down to the tattoo on Aria's thigh and visibly recoiled, but she was otherwise well-received. For now.

Aria entered Ideal Image with little hesitation, and walked over to the teen at the counter automatically. "Hi, I'm here to pick up some orders I left a few months ago, and also to leave some new ones." The lines were delivered so perfectly and mechanically that Arlong could practically see how often she had rehearsed them. Arlong snorted at the thought, which drew the teen's attention to him. A look of fear spread across his face, and his relaxed position transitioned into an anxious one.

"Ah, yeah, Reed-san, I'll go get your stuff right away!" Aria grimaced at the title, and winced as the boy tripped over his own feet in his hurry. Arlong shoved his hands in his pockets and scowled at the boy, hovering behind Aria. This family had shown a bit of resistance when Arlong had come knocking, especially after Nami had been tattooed. The boy had a smart mouth, but one of his men had punched it out of him.

The teen returned with several neat boxes tucked into bags, and he set them carefully on the counter, eyes watching Arlong nervously for any hint of disapproval. "Uhm, everything you requested was finished about a m-month ago. You might want to try them on before leaving, and add them to your u-upcoming order."

"I'll do that." Aria nodded, and pulled out the clothes she wanted altered. "Before that, though, I'll tell you all the work I want done on these so you can tally it all up while I'm busy."

The teen nodded, but he must have remembered something, because he started talking quicker after glancing at Arlong again. "Reed-san, our prices have gone up since you've last been here, I-i'm sorry." Surprise flickered over Aria's face, and she turned to look at Arlong with a look of displeasure.

"That's your fault, isn't it?" Aria asked, voice heavy with annoyance. Arlong merely smirked in response. She sighed and turned back to the teen, who was sweating intensely. "That's fine, just tally everything up anyway." Then she launched into a series of sewing talk that Arlong quickly grew disinterested in, and he decided to stare out the window instead. People were huddled together, glancing fearfully at the store every so often. Arlong frowned at the sight. He had expected it to take a bit longer. Aria and the boy were unaware, completely focused on discussing the alterations and repairs.

Eventually they finished, and Aria disappeared into the back towards the fitting rooms. Arlong was left alone with the irritating teen who flinched whenever Arlong so much as glanced at him. Perhaps it would have been better to wait outside, where he could intimidate the villagers into not gossiping about Aria.

That train of thought last only a few seconds. Arlong was suddenly very grateful he stayed in the shop, because the teen had an utterly lecherous grin on his face when Aria walked out, having changed into an airy green dress that showed a surprising amount of cleavage. "Reed-san, I see that everything fits as you wanted?" The boy asked, and Arlong felt disgusted by the not even subtle flirting. He wanted to punch the kid's lights out himself. Aria would definitely not be coming here alone anymore, not with that kid's gaze.

"Yes. Your mother always does such nice work." Aria chirped, either feigning innocence or just completely oblivious to the kid's flirting. The boy nodded in agreement, and handed Aria her bill. Aria's lips pursed at the pricetag, and her eyes flickered over to Arlong for a moment before she pulled out her wallet. "The quality is worth the price." She said, but her sigh gave away her displeasure.

"Thank you so much, Reed-san. We always appreciate your business!" The boy tried waggling his eyebrows, but Aria was pointedly not making eye contact with him. Arlong wanted to retch. As she left, Arlong caught the teen staring at her ass without even the slightest regard to Arlong looming beside her, and he growled lowly. Aria glanced at him, curious, but he pushed her out of the shop.

"What next?" Arlong grumbled, and Aria's brows knit together thoughtfully as she studied him.

"Seeds and fodder." She eventually replied, before walking off to the next store. Aria ignored the leering crowds with as much ease as she feigned ignorance at the teen's flirting, and Arlong huffed at the thought of that brat making passes at Aria frequently enough that she had become accustomed to ignoring them.

They weren't at the seed shop for nearly as long as the tailor, and Aria picked up enough to last the entire year. She pursed her lips thoughtfully at the fodder, contemplating how she was going to carry it and her clothing, until Arlong rolled his eyes and just grabbed it for her. "You can ask me to carry things, you know."

Aria blinked slowly, and Arlong realized the thought had never even crossed her mind. "I'm just used to doing it all myself."

Arlong gave her an amused smirk. "So I've noticed." He snickered as she flushed in embarrassment, quickly walking towards their next stop.

Aria bought building materials at the next store, but there were too many for even Arlong to help carry, so they would be delivered to Arlong Park. The shopkeep had paled at Aria's request, but Arlong grinning toothily behind her meant there wasn't any complaints.

They finally stopped at Cocoa Pharm, so that Aria could gather some general supplies, as well as vitamins. Arlong was surprised that she took any, but he realized Aria probably needed to make up for the lack of meat in her diet. She had been almost ecstatic when presented with filleted fish a few days ago, and Arlong had mocked her for it until she had sniped that meat wasn't accessible on her island, and fishing might literally kill her if she fell into the water. Arlong had made sure she had lots of meat after that.

"I'm here to pick up a prescription under Reed." Aria chirped, and Arlong grimaced at the way it sounded so practiced.

The woman at the counter stared at Arlong and Aria for a few moments. She remained composed and went to check the back, but returned far quicker than expected. "Your prescription for the period was already picked up last month."

Arlong froze, suddenly remembering that Hachi had stolen it when they had to blackmail Aria. Aria also froze, and a look that was somehow both sheepish and annoyed slipped onto her face. "Oh. Right. Sorry. Can I just buy this, then?"

The clerk nodded and rang up her items, giving both of them an unamused dead-eyed stare as she worked. "Would you like your freezer pops in a bag?" Arlong raised a brow at the question, and Aria shook her head, taking the flavored ice from the woman. She opened one of them as she paid, chewing on the plastic idly.

"Okay, that's all fer today." Aria said after they exited the pharmacy, voice muffled behind the frozen treat. Arlong gave her an amused glance. She was carrying way too many bags, almost with childlike determination, and she kept messing with the freezer pop in her mouth, blowing air into it and chewing the ice.

"We'll pick up Nami-chan and go home." Arlong said, taking some of the bags from Aria despite the petulant look she gave him.

"Where's she at?" Aria followed behind him closely, and when he glanced back at her Arlong saw she was lazily watching the townspeople mill about. She was much more relaxed now than when they first entered Cocoyashi, but she looked tired, too. All the social interaction she'd had to endure drained her, although Arlong noted she took it much better than her first day at Arlong Park.

"Her sister's house. I gave her the day off."

"That was nice." Aria murmured dryly.

"She's been hard at work mapping Mata Nui and all the islands around it." Arlong grinned as he thought about all the maps she'd managed to create in such a short time. Nami really was a gifted child.

They wound up at the tangerine grove faster than expected, Arlong leading the way with his quick pace. Aria didn't complain, though, so Arlong didn't bother slowing down. It was already dark enough that the air was quickly cooling, and the breeze made it nippy. Aria looked around the grove curiously as Arlong knocked on the door of the small, one-room house.

From within, Arlong heard an annoyed sigh followed by footsteps. Nami glared up at him petulantly, and crossed her arms. "Did something happen?"

"C'mon, Nami-chan, not even a greeting?" Arlong whined, and Aria snickered. The sound caused Nami to peer outside the door, and she was surprised to see Aria standing just a few feet away from Arlong.

"Aria-chan is here?" Nami exclaimed, voice cracking in excitement.

"What? The hermit?" Asked a voice Arlong recognized as Nami's sister. Nojiko poked her head out of the house to stare at Aria, too. "Wow, it's really her."

Aria's brows furrowed in annoyance and she blew into the plastic bag between her teeth. Arlong frowned in confusion at the way the two sisters were looking at Aria. It was weird.

"You're kind of an asshole, Hermit-chan." Nojiko said as she pushed past Arlong and Nami, standing before the addressed woman with her hands on hers hips. "You wouldn't ever talk to us, not even when we wanted to help you carry things, but you don't mind shopping with him?"

Aria looked visibly uncomfortable, and refused to meet Nojiko's gaze. She didn't even bother refuting the criticisms, instead choosing to glare off into the grove. Eventually Nojiko sighed and gave Nami a look as she returned inside. Nami looked a bit sheepish.

"...Are you coming back to Arlong Park tonight or are you staying here?" Arlong asked, trying to break the awkward tension in the air. Nami glanced back into the house, and then at Aria.

Pursing her lips, Nami finally decided. "I'm gonna stay here." Arlong frowned but nodded.

"Stay out of trouble, then. We're going raiding tomorrow." Nami gave him an annoyed look at the reminder, and shut the door. Arlong made a face and turned to Aria. "What was that about?"

Aria shrugged and crossed her arms. "Hell if I know." Arlong didn't miss the way she glanced at the house cooly, or how she was subtly trying to gaze around the groves.

Arlong sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. These two were such a pain, sometimes…"Let's go home."

"Sounds good."

Arlong took his time on the way back, despite the dropping temperature. Now that they were done running errands, all that was left to do was prepare for tomorrow. Arlong found himself studying Aria as he went over the plans in his head, and wondered if she'd be up for the initiation task he'd set for her. If she'd be able to cross that line. It was hard to say, because while Aria was stubborn and selfish, there were times when she would noticeably re-evaluate her expectations. Arlong had seen it when he returned from sinking the marine's ship, had seen it when he pressed her about the incident. Her brows would furrow, her jaw clenched, and you could practically watch her accept things.

After the last week with her, Arlong knew she would force herself to complete goals with a complete disregard for her own self. There had been two nights where Aria didn't come back from the metalshop until three or four in the morning, and then got up after only a couple hours of sleep to fight him. He'd knocked her out one day and left her, just because he'd noticed how exhausted she was. Arlong admired Aria's hard work, sometimes wishing Nami had the same drive, but there was the lingering question of if she knew when to tell herself to stop.

Arlong frowned at the thought. It didn't matter if she knew how to or not, so long as she could get her shit done when he wanted it done. Aria would work for him until Arlong told her to stop. That's all there was to it. Her initiation would be a piece of cake if she was truly loyal.

"I hope it stays this cool all year…" Aria murmured, and dug into a bag to pull out another freezer pop.

Arlong eyed her curiously. "You seem like you'd prefer the heat." Now that they were on the subject, Aria's change of clothes at the tailor's seemed odd with night approaching. The archipelago was warm enough during the day that Aria's wardrobe made sense, but the islands cooled off so quickly at night Arlong had trouble understanding why Aria wasn't shivering. Even when the breeze brushed past them, Aria hadn't shown any discomfort.

Aria wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Definitely not. Spring and fall are bearable. Summer is hell. Conomi's only saving grace is its rainy season." Aria said it with such exasperation that Arlong couldn't help but snicker.

"What, would you have moved if there wasn't one?" Arlong asked.

"Probably. My room gets disgustingly muggy and I can't concentrate at all." Aria muttered, voice muffled by the treat in her mouth. Arlong frowned at that information. "Aqua Atlus is a winter island, anyway. This is a complete flip, temperature-wise." Aria made a thoughtful noise, and glanced over at Arlong. "The sea around Fishman Island must get pretty cold, being so far from the surface."

Arlong raised a brow at the statement. Aria didn't say anything more, suddenly grinning at the sight of the bridge that passed over the creek. She sat down her bags and sat on the railing, swinging her legs. "What are you doing?" Arlong's voice was tinged with annoyance.

Aria shrugged nonchalantly, and made no effort to move despite Arlong frowning at her. She chewed at the plastic between her teeth and looked up at the sky. Arlong sighed and sat down his own bags. He crossed his arms and leaned against the railing beside her, ignoring Aria's bristling as his arm brushed hers. Arlong didn't know how deep the river was, but the idea of having Aria fall into it was worrying.

Aria hummed idly, and Arlong found himself glad they had stopped. The bridge was peaceful despite all the sounds of nature around it. The sky was clear, and the stars were brightly visible. Considering the battle that awaited them tomorrow, this was a nice reprise. And it reminded him of what he had to fight for. An empire under the sun and sky.

"Do you want one?" The question broke Arlong out of his thoughts, and he found a blue-colored freezer pop poking his cheek.

Arlong decided he did. Aria's smile as he took it caught him off guard, and he looked away as he ripped the plastic open. It was mostly melted by now, but it still tasted good and cool. A breeze rushed past them and Aria sighed and leaned back, gripping the wooden railing tightly so she wouldn't fall. Arlong watched her cautiously. Aria didn't seem to care about her dress billowing in the wind or her hair falling into her eyes, and probably cared even less about the way Arlong's gaze dropped to her cleavage. Arlong frowned and chewed at what little ice remained in his freezer pop, aggressively trying to not remember the morning's events.

Arlong grimaced as he remembered he still had to sleep next to her tonight. He pushed off the railing and picked up his share of the bags. "We should get going." Arlong said when Aria cocked her head, eyes following his movements curiously.

Aria sighed and nodded, and slid off the railing. The rest of the walk back to Arlong Park was quiet, and every time Arlong glanced over at Aria her head was in the clouds. Arlong didn't feel like chiding her to pay attention or breaking her out of her trance. When they finally got up to his room, she was still lost in her thoughts, running on auto, and he was still trying to ignore how his plans to make her complacent had backfired.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

"You're going to prove your loyalty to me, my cause, and our crew here today. Show me that you're smarter than these pitiful humans who can only cower before us."

Aria scoffed, a haughty smirk filling her face as Arlong tested her pride. Of course she was smarter than them, she was working with him to spare her life, wasn't she? "Of course, captain."

Arlong's teeth glinted dangerously in the sun, and he looked absolutely cowed at her smug subservience.

"These two only have enough beli for one. One of them is going to have to die."

* * *

AN: You're not a true DnD bard until you try to seduce your way out of combat. _fingerguns_

Next chapter is the Mata Nui takeover, and as expected of the Arlong Pirates, it gets a bit bloody.

Thank you for the lovely reviews! I cherish them so much and I re-read them a lot


	13. The Price of Loyalty

**Chapter 13:** The Price of Loyalty

cw: murder, mentions of looting, dissociation

* * *

The sea parted as the dark form beneath the waves rose, and Aria couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. Before her floated a Sea King, one that's bellow was deafening as it cowed for food. It was like a sea cow, with it it's green-spotted pattern, horns the size of a large man, and pierced snout. It looked completely complacent as Hachi fed it the boar he had been roasting overnight, and didn't try to snap at any of the nearby fishmen. She'd known the crew had Sea Kings because Hachi had mentioned it off-hand, had heard one cowing at her welcoming party, but to physically _see_ one was another matter altogether.

"Aria-chan, meet Momoo-chan." Arlong said, his lips curling into an ever-so-smug smirk as the mouthy woman was finally left gaping and speechless. "You'll be riding him to Mata Nui."

"I...what?" Aria's brows knitted together, and she glanced between the Sea King and Arlong in an uneasy mix of confusion and awe. "You brought a Grand Line Sea King to the East Blue?"

It made sense that they would bring some sort of Sea King with them so that they could pass through the Calm Belt undetected and with enough speed to keep them from being sitting ducks. But as far as she knew, pirates usually left their steeds at the Calm Belt. Keeping one fed was a monumental task.

"We have several." Arlong said cheerfully. "Momoo's the easiest to deal with, though."

Aria stared at the sea cow a few moments longer, until Arlong's previous words caught up to her. "Hold up. I'm _riding_ a _Sea King_ to Mata Nui."

Arlong's smirk widened. He'd been eagerly awaiting for the other shoe to drop. "Of course. It's not as if I could just haul you around like Nami. You'd be worthless once we got to Mata Nui, with your strength all sapped from the saltwater."

Aria balked at the saw shark, unable to believe him. "But if I fall off, I'll die."

Arlong shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't fall off, then." He cackled as he watched Aria try and reign in her emotions, and patted her head condescendingly before finding something productive to do. If she got so flustered she sputtered at the first task of the day, he was eagerly awaiting how she'd react to her initiation.

"I can't fucking _believe_ this shit." Arlong heard Aria muttered as he walked away, causing him to snicker more. It was going to be an entertaining day, one way or another.

* * *

Aria's stomach tossed and turned nervously as she clenched onto Momoo's horn as tightly as she could. She had thought Hachi's jar had been an awful way to travel. This? This was a nightmare. Never before had Aria been sure she was going to fall into the sea if she didn't hold on tight enough. No one would even stop and help her, and she would drown before even becoming a stupid pirate. Aria moaned at the thought.

Thankfully, Mata Nui was in sight now. The fishmen in the water were almost already there, and Arlong himself would probably hit land in just a few minutes.

Aria chewed on her lip as they approached, taking in the island. The marine base took up the majority of the western half of the island, while two small towns separated by dense forest took up the east. The forest looked like it would be the only problematic terrain, and despite the marine base the island wasn't heavily fortified.

Arlong had told her they would take the marine base first, but two separate groups would take over the towns in the meantime. Kuroobi would find the town registers and pass it to both groups, while Hachi sunk all of the non-marine ships. None of the villagers were going to be allowed to escape. It was a solid plan.

When they landed, there was a deafening cheer from the fishmen who were charging towards the marine base. Aria wished she had the interest in battle they did, if only so she could face this day without the sense of dread.

Arlong issued at orders as they charged, and the fishmen split into smaller groups. Dresden and Gajeel broke open the base's gate with ease, thanks to their humongous hammers, and the pirates stormed inside. Aria followed Arlong's group as closely as she could, eyeing the serrated sword strapped to his back. Arlong didn't even bother using it on the marines that approached him, as he just flung them out of his way like annoying flies. She didn't doubt that his cackling could be heard throughout the entire island. Watching him fight, Aria could see just how much Arlong enjoyed brawling. That's all it seemed his fighting was. What he lacked in grace he made up for in devastating blows. She'd never seen a berserker fight before, and it was almost enthralling. Arlong looked like he was made for the savage, aggressive fighting style he employed, and every part of him moved violently. Even his _teeth_ were used, and Aria balked as Arlong bit right through the barrel of a gun before he took out the unfortunate marine who dared oppose him.

Aria was surprised at just how _easily_ the marines were being handled. The pirates treated them like they were nothing, smashing their guns and their canons with their fists and teeth, very rarely using their own weapons in favor of their brute strength. Kuroobi and Chew didn't even give them the chance to pick up their weapons, whipping them away from the marines or shattering them with high-pressured water. Arlong didn't even bother worrying about the horde surrounding him, rushing through the marines like they were water. Aria slammed a few marines who tried to shoot at Arlong's back with screeching waves, and tackled past one who attempted to block her path. Mostly, the marines seemed confused by the sole human infiltrating their base.

They reached the main building with little effort. Aria wanted to stop and catch her breath the second they got inside, but the marines were howling with rage right outside. Some of them must have still had guns, because they shot through the windows, and Aria yelped as a bullet grazed the back of her thigh. It should have passed right through her, but she was so full of nerves that even her subconscious logia abilities were having difficulties. Aria forced herself to push through the pain and run faster, slipping into partial intangibility as they encountered a wall of marines. She cursed her lack of combat practice with her abilities, wishing she had the easy and thoughtless ethereal form that was so common in logia-user superhero comics.

Arlong hesitated only for a second, glancing back at her, before charging into the marines. They were flung against the walls like dolls whenever Arlong or Kuroobi grabbed them. Aria took the chance to run further from the windows, from the shattered glass and occasional bullet. A marine tried to grab her as she ran by, but fell on his startled face as she slid through him. "The woman has a devil fruit power!" He yelled, right before Arlong kicked him in the face.

"Aria, the room that has the town registers is in the next hallway." Kuroobi called out. Aria nodded at the information, and darted past the next wave. Aria smirked at their inability to touch her, before making the air crackle sharply with awful screeches. The marines, too busy covering their ears and wobbling from the sudden nausea, were easy prey for the following fishmen. Aria heard Arlong laugh triumphantly at something, but didn't bother looking back as she ducked into the first room she saw.

It was a supply closet. Aria cursed at her luck, and exitted to find two marines charging at her. She slipped between their bayonetta's blades and punched one of them in the face before turning intangible and entering the next room. It was some sort of office, so Aria locked the door and began rummaging through the filing cabinets. She ignored the sounds of the marines banging at the door, only glancing up when she heard it stop, followed by the cracking sound of something breaking. Aria grimaced at the sobs and whimpers, and continued rifling through the office. Eventually, Aria found what she needed.

Cautiously, she opened the door, fully expecting to fight whoever remained outside. Instead she found Kuroobi guarding the door, arms crossed and glaring at the broken marines at his feet. "Here, I found it." Aria waited impatiently as Kuroobi flipped through the files, glancing down the halls for more threatening enemies.

"Thank you." Kuroobi said curtly. "I recommend you go find Arlong." Kuroobi pointed down a hallway and Aria nodded, glad she'd been dismissed so quickly. Kuroobi was awkward to interact with.

It took quite a few minutes of running around until Aria realized Arlong had probably finished this floor while she was searching the office. The next floor was filled with unconscious marines and a lack of fishmen, so she skipped past it.

Several similar floors later, Aria stopped to take a breather, leaning up against a wall to take weight off of her leg. She glanced at the tear, and was glad to see it wasn't bleeding as badly as she expected. It was bruising already, but it looked like it would be fine so long as she applied some pressure to it. A new goal in mind, Aria started searching the rooms for cloth of any kind, and quickly found a first aid kit tucked away in an office drawer. She hissed as she cleaned the wound, and wrapped her thigh with tight bandages.

Just as she was about to finish, however, she heard the clicking of a gun's safety behind her head. "You're with the pirates. You've got his mark on your thigh." The owner said, probably a marine. Aria stilled, and wondered if she would be able to slip past him faster than he could pull the trigger. "Answer me." The man growled, and pressed the barrel of the gun to her skull.

Aria scowled and decided to take the chance. She vanished before him, and slammed her foot into the side of his stomach when he yelped in surprise. The marine tried to shoot at her, but she stunned him by slamming her vibrating fist into his ear. A bullet just barely grazed her outstretched arm and Aria yelped. Quickly, she knocked his gun away and slammed the man's face into a nearby table. He collapsed with a groan, and Aria fell on her ass. She took deep, calming breaths, trying to calm her racing heart and her adrenaline-filled nerves. The sound of someone running down the hallway made her stand so fast her head spun, but she turned intangible anyway and prepared to fight or run.

Aria darted out into the hallway and would have slammed directly into Arlong, had she been physical. Arlong came to a stop that should've been impossible for his size, and turned to her. "Was that you?" Arlong asked, panting hard. Aria nodded, and jabbed her thumb into the room she'd been in.

"I knocked the guy out." Arlong scowled but nodded.

"The captain of this base is suppose to be on this floor." Arlong growled, and Aria glanced at the guy on the floor.

"What's he suppose to look like?" Arlong pulled a picture out of his pockets and handed it to her, before taking off his felt hat and running a hand through his hair in frustration, his bracelet jangling as he moved. Arlong had probably been running through the whole building looking for the man, judging by how heavily he was breathing. "Ah. Well, it looks like he's who I knocked out."

Arlong scowled at her. "If that's a joke, it's not funny." Despite his words, he went into the office. Arlong whistled lowly as he picked the guy up. "The fuck did you do to his face?"

"I'd rather not think about it, if you don't mind." Aria replied, grimacing.

"He's not dead, but he's useless if he's unconscious." Arlong grumbled. "Thankfully we caught the second in command already." Arlong carried the man like a sack of potatoes, and Aria made sure to stay on his opposite side. She didn't really want to look at the damage she'd caused. Suddenly Arlong stopped, and turned to her with a heavy frown. "You're bleeding somewhere. I can smell it."

"Ah, yeah." Aria glanced at the back of her leg, but the bandages were fine. "I'm good." She started walking, but Arlong caught her arm, frowning deeper at the blood trickling down it. "Oh. I forgot about that." Aria ducked back into the office and grabbed the first-aid kit. She started cleaning the wound as she walked beside Arlong.

"Make sure you see Kakuzu-nii when we're done." Arlong murmured, and Aria nodded half-heartedly. That was hours from now, and Aria had a feeling all she would want to do when they got home was sleep. All she wanted to do _now_ was sleep, after all the excitement in the last few minutes. But there was still more excitement to come, not to mention whatever initiation task Arlong had for her.

"What exactly am I going to do for my initiation?" Aria asked, while it was on her mind.

"You'll see." Arlong replied vaguely. Aria raised a brow. Arlong had been so ambiguous about it every time Aria asked that it was obvious he was hiding something. It was concerning, but there was only so much longer until he would finally tell her.

They went up a flight of stairs to where a group of about fifteen marines sat in a tight circle, held captive by the pirates looming above them. One man in particular stood out in a slightly different uniform, much more regally dressed despite the fact that he had a tissue shoved up his nose to halt its bleeding. He had a particularly mousy look to him, which seemed odd considering his higher status.

"Commander Nezumi, it seems you've been placed in charge since your superior has been rendered unconscious." Arlong announced with no shortage of gleeful malice. The man in question blanched at either the sight of Arlong's fangy grin or his unconscious captain. Aria couldn't tell which until Arlong tossed the captain unceremoniously into the pile of captives.

"S-so it seems. What do you want from this branch?" Arlong flicked a finger upwards, and Commander Nezumi was hoisted up by Gajeel so that he could stand. The wince on Nezumi's face meant it wasn't gentle in the slightest, and Aria almost felt a shred of sympathy for the man before she stomped it down. Aria frowned at herself and crossed her arms, trying to appear bored and intimidating as Arlong got to business. Her arm throbbed painfully now that the adrenaline was waning, but her heart was still racing nervously.

"I want this island, and control over the information that gets sent out through this branch." Arlong said.

"Unacceptable. That would be considered treason." Nezumi snapped back.

Arlong laughed heartily at the knee-jerk reaction. "I'm sure we could make some sort of arrangement. Otherwise, well, we'll just have to move on to the third in command."

Nezumi paled further at that, but remained firm. "You're asking me to sacrifice my justice for my life, you know. That's hardly worth your offer." He said it snidely, with a delicate sniff of his nose, but the way his lip curled into a smirk made Aria's skin crawl. Nezumi no longer seemed mousy, despite his timid, whiny voice and ashen skin. Yet he still seemed rodent-like. Perhaps it was the way his nose twitched.

"It wouldn't be for free, you know. A monthly payment made from the villagers as protection fee, and your officers would be free from my taxes." Arlong offered, matching Nezumi's curling smirk.

Nezumi made a strange noise as he considered it. "What sort of information would you need?"

"Obscuring my movements, and preventing word of my empire from fully reaching the Grand Line. Information on other pirates and bounty hunters would also be appreciated."

Arlong's answer seemed to amuse Nezumi, and Aria realized the strange sound was his laughter.

"Chichichi, you honestly think this one base can completely cover your tracks? I'm only a Commander, you know." Arlong's smirk grew malevolent, and his eyes gleamed with malice.

"Dresden. Take care of the captain." Arlong ordered smoothly, and Aria's eyes widened as she watched her teacher effortlessly slam his giant hammer down on the man she had rendered unconscious, without the slightest hesitation. She swallowed to prevent herself from vomiting at the squelching noise that followed, and dug her nails into her arms fiercely at the splatter that hit her cheek. There was no question that the man was now dead. The marines surrounding the corpse wailed and whimpered, looking upon their former leader's corpse with equal measures of aghast and anger.

"It looks like you've been promoted, Captain Nezumi." Arlong said, snickering.

Nezumi started shaking at the display. "Th-this is still only one base." He protested, weakly.

"There will be more." Arlong promised. "As our first partner, we could even make you the official leader of all our following acquisitions."

Nezumi smirked and laughed nervously. Aria was almost disgusted by his ability to keep smiling, to keep laughing. "I-i suppose this could work out, yes." The marines under his command looked horrified, and several almost acted like they were going to start a mutiny before Dresden rolled his shoulder and set his hammer down with a mighty thunk, a malicious smile on his usually stern face. An audible gulp was heard throughout the room.

Arlong's grin grew impossibly wide. "Good."

"What's first on your agenda?" Nezumi asked, although his smile seemed considerably more forced now.

"Let's get down to business later. I still have an island to conquer." Arlong said, voice filled with glee. He looked absolutely delighted that things were going so smoothly. "We can smooth this out afterwards."

Nezumi nodded and clasped his hands behind his back. "We'll be waiting, chichichi."

"Gajeel, Dresden, Bec. Stay here and make sure our new allies are kept company." Arlong ordered. He beckoned for the rest of the fishmen to follow, and Aria kept close to his side, not fond of the way the marines were glaring at her. Aria was grateful that Arlong had the foresight to keep them under watch, but was disappointed that they'd be moving so soon. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Take your time." Nezumi called as the pirates took the stairs. Arlong snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

Arlong gave Aria a wry grin. "The captain did come in handy after all."

"I'll remember that when you get knocked unconscious." Aria replied, and Arlong cackled all the way down the stairs.

The quad was littered with unconscious marines, most likely taken care of by Chew and Kuroobi when they left to complete their secondary tasks. The pirates paid them no mind as they stepped over their unconscious bodies, and Arlong only left a couple more men to guard the area before they headed towards the first town.

The pirates separated into another two groups, one to join the takeover of the northern town, and one to take over the southern one. Aria followed Arlong closely, watching in distaste as he threatened family after family for money, sea charts, and treasure. He didn't seem to have a problem with looting, either, taking whatever caught his eye. The pirate captain even encouraged her to take what she wanted, clapping her back in encouragement, but Aria merely met his eyes with an exhausted, fed-up look.

After a few hours, they had hit every house in both cities. There had been quite a few marine families who had tried to put up a fight, and now there were numerous people just barely hanging onto life. Aria would have considered that bad enough, but Kuroobi had found people unable to pay the fees.

Arlong grinned maliciously as Kuroobi presented the two-person family in front of him, then motioned for Aria to come over. "Aria-chan, come here."

Reluctantly, Aria stood beside him. She stared at the woman and child before her, crossing her arms like it might shield her from their fearful faces. They were both young, the child only eight at most, and the woman in her late twenties. They both shared the same trembling green eyes and untameable brown hair. It was clear that they had lived in poverty for a long time, judging by their threadbare clothing, but they'd managed to survive long enough to meet Arlong.

Arlong grinned at Aria with absolute malevolence. "You were asking what your initiation task would be, earlier."

She nodded mutely, both in awe and slightly fearful of how bloodlust rolled off Arlong in waves. The last time she had felt such dangerous intent was when he had intended to kill her, after all. "You're going to prove your loyalty to me, my cause, and our crew here today. Show me that you're smarter than these pitiful humans who can only cower before us."

Aria scoffed, a haughty smirk filling her face as Arlong tested her pride. Of course she was smarter than them, she was working with him to spare her life, wasn't she? "Of course, captain."

Arlong's teeth glinted dangerously in the sun, and he looked absolutely cowed at her smug subservience.

"These two only have enough beli for one. One of them is going to have to die." Aria glanced between the three. Arlong wanted her to kill one of them? Panic started to well up in her, and she had to harshly stomp it down. She had to be strong. She had to do whatever it was that Arlong wanted so that she could live, Aria reminded herself. Despite the cold self-preservation coursing through her veins, Aria couldn't help but recall Nami's warning. "Prove your loyalty to me, and kill one of them, Aria-chan."

"No!" The child protested, and clutched her mother's leg tighter. The mother scowled and shoved the child off her. The daughter collapsed into the dirt with a hurt expression.

"You can kill her." The mother offered, voice cold. Aria's mouth dropped in surprise, and even Arlong was shocked for a fraction of a second before he started cackling. Mixed with the daughter's horrified sobs, the sound was more stomach-turning than any noise Aria could produce.

"You humans are so pathetic! Either you love too much or not at all." Arlong said between laughs. He clasped Aria on the back. "You would get along well with our scientist here, woman." Aria's blood ran cold at that, and she couldn't help her lip curling into a sneer.

"Don't toss me in with the likes of her." Aria muttered, clenching her arms in anger. "I'm not that selfish."

That caused Arlong to break out into another peal of laughter. "If you say so, Aria-chan. There's not really that much difference to me."

"Which one do you want me to kill?" Aria asked with a tired sigh. The child inhaled sharply, and visibly made an attempt to muffle her cries, as if annoying Arlong would influence if she survived.

Arlong smirked at her. Aria realized she was only proving his point, but she would rather spend her energy steeling herself for murder than arguing. "Whichever one, I don't care. It's up to you."

"Hmm." Aria studied the supposedly hateful, selfish woman before her. Her green eyes flared defiantly, but there was also acceptance in them, too. Aria had a feeling she was resigned to die, even though she had pushed her child forward as a sacrifice. Aria assumed it was a ploy to make the mother more hateable, and therefore more likely to die. Still...The child would have to live with the memory of this, if Aria chose her to survive. But 50,000 beli was a lot for a child to make in a month, with no support system to provide her food or rent. Aria doubted she'd survive more than a year. "Say your goodbyes, I suppose."

Arlong scoffed at her sentiments, and crossed his arms. He frowned as the child hugged her mother, but the mother didn't reciprocate. "That was a short decision."

"It wasn't a hard choice, considering the kid wouldn't last long." Aria replied. She wondered if it was normal to feel so detached in an event like this. Aria had expected to need to steel herself, but even her stomach felt numb.

The mother looked up at Aria in surprise and loathing, but still didn't move to console her sobbing daughter. "I'll remember you. You'll burn in hell for this."

Aria smiled thinly. "So will you." She stepped towards the child, idly wondering why children were always so pitiful. Aria hated the idea of being around kids, but the idea of killing one...She was grateful for the all-encompassing numbness as she pulled the mousy girl from her mother. The kid's nose was running so much it was dribbling down her chin, and her own green eyes were barely visible from how scrunched up they were. Had there been a father or another mother in the picture, Aria had little doubt that the child wouldn't be as scrawny.

Aria forced a better smile onto her face and crouched down with the child. Behind her, Arlong shifted his stance, and she could almost feel his suspicious glare digging into her back. Aria ignored him, and patted the child on the head awkwardly. "Things will be better after this." The words felt hollow, despite how Aria chirped them.

The child sniffled, and nodded like she understood, despite the confusion in her eyes. She glanced over at her mother, and Aria wondered if the child would even realize what that meant before she died. "Hey." Aria drew the girl's attention back to her, forcing herself not to cringe at the child's watery eyes, and press her hands to the girl's cheeks. They were soft, squishy, and covered in tears, and Aria swallowed in anticipation before she visualized an orange disintegrating and murmured, "Aural 1,000."

And then the girl was gone, like she'd never been there in the first place, and all that remained was the white noise that vanished just as quickly.

Aria's stomach lurched into her chest, and it took all she had to push it back down.

Aria ignored the shriek of the mother as she stood, and refused to meet Arlong's gaze as she walked away. She bared her teeth at the fishmen who stared at her, slack-jawed, as if daring them to try and stop her from leaving. If they did, she would just vomit on them.

Aria didn't stop until there was sand under her shoes. She collapsed to her knees, not caring if sand slipped into her bandages. Her hands shook, no matter how hard she clenched them. She swallowed hard, in an attempt to keep herself from puking. It was a losing battle, but she would fight it until they were home. All she had to do was wait until they got back, and she could go back to her island, far away from this shit she'd gotten herself into.

God, she was such a fool. Of course Arlong would want her to prove her loyalty with a murder. He had killed Nami's mother. Threatened Cocoyashi and Goza and all the rest of Conomi's little villages with utter destruction if a single future payment was missed. Sunk any marines that dared to save his territory. Nearly killed her with a single hand around her throat because she wouldn't give up her stipend. Aria knew Arlong hated humans. But it had just seemed like an unpleasant personality trait, like his cockiness and his swift anger, until Kuroobi had rounded up the few humans who couldn't pay. Somewhere along the last week, she had forgotten.

"You shouldn't have walked off alone. The humans might have attacked you, chuu." Aria looked up to find Chew standing beside her, hands in his pockets as always. His brows were knitted together, and he was studying her intensely. Probably trying to determine how dangerous she was, and if she ought to be taken care of.

Aria scoffed and stood. "I doubt they would have even approached me." She brushed the sand off her knees and calves, and looked towards the town. The rest of the pirates weren't far away, and Aria could hear Arlong laughing heartily.

"Maybe, maybe not. But don't take the chance, chuu. They might not be as submissive as Conomi. You're an enemy to them."

Aria smirked, incredulous anger filling her blood for a moment. "Who's to say the villagers from Cocoyashi won't come after me? They're much more likely than this batch, who saw me murder a child."

Chew stared at her, his expression unreadable. "Arlong wouldn't appreciate you getting hurt, either way. You're part of the crew now, chuu."

Aria frowned, and clenched her fists tightly. "I'd find that a lot more believable half an hour ago."

Chew grimaced and looked off into the distance. Even from here, they could hear the townsfolk wailing. "I suppose you've got a right to think that. But I'm glad you chose what you did. I can't stand snivelly human orphans, chuu."

Chew was callous, but there was some meaning under his wording. Despite the haze filling her mind, Aria wondered that if she were truly nakama, would she realize what he was talking about? Would she understand his bitterness? How much more of her soul would she have to give up to understand these fishman pirates?

After a few moments of uneasy silence, Chew scoffed to himself and rejoined the approaching Arlong, informing the captain about the state of the villager's boats. The numbness returned as Arlong approached, and Aria was never more grateful to feel nothing when he clasped her on the shoulder and praised her for a job well done. She forced a fake smile and followed her new captain with fuzz in her mind.

An hour later, and the numbness was still present as she followed Arlong back to the marine base. The numbness was still present as he made them barter for their lives, their livelihood, their peace of mind. And the numbness was still present as Nezumi sold his soul to Arlong in a manner that wasn't unlike how she'd just sold hers.

The rat-like marine was allowing his greed to get the best of himself, allowing it to outweigh his sense of justice and duty at the prospect of not having to pay Arlong's taxes and instead being able to make money off the people he was suppose to protect. Aria couldn't even bring herself to feel disgusted, and she let the shark and the rat come to an agreement with static in her mind until she heard the word "bounty."

"What did he say?" Aria asked, snapping out of her dissociation. Arlong turned to her, and Aria wanted to cringe at the numerous eyes now focused on her, but she held strong.

"Nezumi-taichou has arranged for us to have reduced bounties for a while." Arlong said.

" 'Us?' " Aria repeated.

Arlong nodded, a proud grin spreading upon his face. "The marines were so very impressed with your display earlier that they wanted to give you a reward."

Panic welled up inside of Aria, worse than it had earlier. No, she couldn't wind up with a bounty. Never, ever. If she did, they'd send people. Aria would _not_ let herself be dragged back.

"Unacceptable. I won't have a bounty." Aria snapped, and Arlong raised a brow at the sudden hackles Aria was sporting. Aria narrowed her eyes at the marines, daring them to question her as she continued, "you will erase any mention that I was ever here, and you will erase any mention of what I have done."

Nezumi laughed nervously. "I'm afraid that can't be done, miss. There were too many eyewitnesses." He twitched his nose.

Aria locked eyes with the rat, and let audible static emit from her palms. "I'm well aware of how you can change history. I wasn't there. If you won't comply, I have no problem making sure your predecessor will." Nezumi swallowed audibly, but it did nothing to ease the fear written all over his face.

"Aria, that's enough." Arlong snapped, and Aria bit her mouth to stop herself from making a smart remark. "I'm sure Nezumi-taichou will be able to comply with your demand, otherwise he wouldn't make such an agreeable partner."

"Y-yes, I'll make sure you were never here." Nezumi agreed, nodding rapidly.

"Good." Aria said, crossing her arms and sneering at the marine. "If I find out any of you've slipped up, though…" The air crackled around her menacingly, promising a swift punishment.

A chorus of "I understand!" rang through the small room. Aria had never felt more relieved at people looking at her in terror before.

"I wasn't aware that you having a bounty would be a problem, Aria-chan." Arlong said, low enough that only she could hear. "You need to make me aware of these things."

"I could say the same to you." Aria said dryly. "I would have, provided I'd known you would make me cause such a scene."

Arlong growled quietly, but dropped the subject, choosing to resume his dealings with Nezumi. Internally, he was surprised to find that Aria _did_ have a line she wasn't willing to cross. He'd interrogate her about that later.

Kuroobi, who had been watching the dealings quietly, raised a brow at the entire exchange. _Our enemies are the same, eh?_ _What a load of shit._

Aria let herself zone out again, this time with a feeling that she just barely dodged a bullet.

Arlong was harsh. Home was worse.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Kakuzu shrugged his many-tentacled shoulders. "You can believe what you want. I'd still like for us to be nakama in the future. And hopefully you can be nakama with Arlong, too."

Aria crossed her arms and looked at the door separating the office from the party. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens, I guess. Thanks for taking care of me, Kakuzu."

* * *

AN: Just imagine what Nami's gonna think.

Considering I usually only write Pokemon battles, I'd love some input on how Mata Nui's fighting went. Aria didn't really have a chance to show her stuff in this arc, but there are going to be a lot more fighting scenes in the future. With some actual named attacks, haha. Aria's still too inexperienced to have anything more than a basic discharge named attack at this point.

The hardest part of this is trying to figure out how canon-compliant I want this story to be. Obviously, there's a big enough gap between Arlong's takeover of Conomi and his defeat by Luffy to have a good deal of timeline where I can just make shit up. But also, I want there to be a growth of character, and not just for Aria. The problem lies in the fact that in canon, it actually seems like Arlong got weaker during his time in the East Blue, and he straight out says he's got 20 villages under his control. Taking his rampages into account, I can consider that to be a loose guideline (especially if I consider that to be islands instead), but that still leaves the question of if I want Arlong to be an over-powered monster due to Aria's help, or if I want it to remain canon-compliant. Leave me a line so I can sort out this dilemma ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	14. Drink Until You Ache

**Chapter 14:** Drink Until You Ache

cws: brief mention of underage drinking, vomiting

* * *

Arlong was so giddy when they reached Arlong Park that he allowed Aria to vanish as he supervised the festivities that were soon to follow the news of their success. It wasn't every day that his plans went so swimmingly, after all. They had reached an important milestone in building Arlong's empire, made a good contact in the marines, and set up more funding for their activities. To make things even better, Arlong had wiped a few miserable humans off the face of the planet.

Damn, today had been a good day.

Hachi and several others ran about setting up tables for the festivities. The cooks had sent some men into Cocoyashi to pick up ingredients, and were drawing up a menu. Kuroobi was analyzing their weapons cache and taking note of any broken tools, before giving the damaged ones to Dresden and Gajeel. Chew was feeding Momoo and the other sea kings. Kakuzu was patching up the few crewmates who had gotten injured. Nami had poked her head out of the stairwell long enough to see that there was going to be a celebration, before vanishing back upstairs. Everyone who mattered was excited and still basking in the rush of a successfully completed raid.

Except Aria. She was still absent.

"Kakuzu-nii, did Aria-chan ever come get her wounds checked out by you?" Arlong asked, casually leaning up against the wall as he watched Kakuzu finish bandaging an arm.

Kakuzu frowned, and met Arlong's eyes without hesitation. "No, she hasn't." Arlong scowled. He had told Aria to get her injuries checked out as soon as possible, and she had even promised that she would. They had been mostly minor, but it wouldn't do for her to make them worse. He doubted she would be able to do much work with an infected arm.

Sighing, Arlong nodded. "I suppose I'll have to drag her down here, then."

"Good luck." Was all Kakuzu replied with, turning his attention back to his patient.

Arlong made sure to check the smithy before heading upstairs, and found himself surprised that Aria wasn't there, working away her negative emotions. Aria had looked like she was going to vomit after dealing with the child, and while she had pulled herself together enough, she was obviously handling the incident poorly. Her slipshod facade had broken a few times on the trip home, and she had looked relieved once they finally touched ground.

Arlong entered his room and found it just as empty. His brows knit together, and he wondered if Aria had gone into town. Would she have returned home by herself? No, Hachi was still downstairs, and despite his speed there was no way he could have made it to her island and back already. The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and Arlong pushed the door open, entering without the slightest care for her privacy.

Aria was pale and shaking, and she shot Arlong a withering glare as she wiped her mouth. "I'm going to shower soon, so you'll need to leave."

"You're not going to do anything without seeing Kakuzu-nii, like I told you to." Arlong replied, approaching Aria cautiously until he realized the tremors weren't her devil fruit. Now that he was closer, he could see all the signs of exhaustion and weakness that Aria had been masking until she was alone. The shaking and ashen complexion of her skin worried Arlong, especially with how hard she was gripping the countertop, as if trying to ground herself.

"They're just scrapes, I'll be fine to take a shower. They need to be cleaned." Aria argued, but she refused to look Arlong in the eye. She clenched her fist tightly, but her arms were still unable to remain still.

Arlong sighed, exasperated, and wished that Aria wasn't so damn stubborn. He grabbed the arm that had been grazed, and ignored Aria's flinch as he ripped the bandage off. The wound had indeed clotted itself up, but the area around the torn flesh was probably bruising underneath all the matted blood. "This one looks fine. How about your leg?"

Aria reluctantly showed Arlong the back of her trembling thigh, grimacing as he poked the areas around the wound inquisitively. "It's fine, see?"

"I still want you to see Kakuzu-nii."

"Not until I've cleaned myself up." Arlong began to protest, but Aria cut him off. "I'm covered in sand and blood and sweat and my own vomit, I'd really like to just be _clean_ before I have to socialize. Now please leave."

Arlong's mouth fell open at the information. Aria had looked nauseous, but Arlong had brushed it off as nothing. His expression softened ever so slightly as he fully realized that today was probably the first time Aria had ever killed before or even been in combat. Arlong had assumed that when he decided on Aria's initiation task, but seeing the effects in front of him was a different story. Aria had been so stone-faced during the events that Arlong hadn't even considered the negative after-effects, even after she had run off. The shaking and paleness made more sense as the trauma hit her all at once, especially since her wounds were mostly fine. But this was still...completely unexpected. He'd expected her to hate him, to fear him, to shun him. Hell, he'd been expecting her to yell, or use her sound powers. Not...for her to hold herself tight in the bathroom, like she'd fall apart if she let herself go.

Reluctantly, Arlong nodded. "Fine. Clean yourself up, and then go to Kakuzu. I don't want you getting worse." Aria's lips formed a thin line, but she didn't protest. Quieter, Arlong ordered, "talk to him about today. You're no use to me a mess."

Aria gave Arlong an inquisitive glance, before brushing off her curiosity. "I'll be down shortly, so don't bother waiting." Arlong noticed how she still refused to look him in the eye, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. Aria might be angry or resentful towards him for some time after today, but her test had been necessary. He could trust her to carry out his goals. All Arlong could do was wait and push her towards Kakuzu.

With that in mind, Arlong headed downstairs to enjoy the party. Today had been a good day, after all. Why not celebrate?

* * *

Aria was glad to be alone and away from prying eyes. She dropped her clothes the second Arlong left, and turned on the shower, sticking her hand under the freezing water to try and chase away the emptiness she was feeling. She had retched away the nauseous pit in her stomach until there was nothing left but a hollow feeling, and now she needed that to go away, too.

"I'm still alive, now. I can't go feeling hollow." Aria murmured to herself as she stepped into the spray, though she couldn't bring herself to enjoy the hot water, even as it washed away the sand and blood and seaspray that caked her body. "Hollowness is for the dead. I'm alive to feel my sins." She told herself, callously.

Aria hadn't expected to ever take a life. It was something she considered, theoretically, but only if there was no other path to take. There had been plenty of other paths to take. But she had gone down this one, the one that led to even more death. Aria shook her head. No, she had been on this path ever since Arlong had come to her island. That was the whole reason she was even building weapons for Arlong. She would build for him or die. She would kill for him or die. She had even offered to fight for him. This was all her fault, culminating from that singular event. She had the opportunity to pay him off, and she refused.

Though, she couldn't help but smile bitterly as she recalled her conversation with Nami a few days ago. She _had_ done terrible things at Arlong's request. She'd done what she could with the hand she'd been dealt. It just...she didn't expect it would be so _soon_.

Aria knew it was her fault, but she couldn't help but resent Arlong ever so slightly. If he hadn't been so tight-lipped about her initiation, she could have found a way around it. There could've been a better solution. Now all there was was a dead child, a resentful mother, and a hollow pit in her chest.

She couldn't stop shaking. Not since she'd thrown up. Not even sinking to the floor and letting the hot water soak her bones seemed to help. It was almost more annoying than forcing herself to not vomit through her sheer willpower, because there wasn't an easy solution. And it had been _embarrassing_ , with Arlong looking at her with such fake concern as he examined her wounds and tried to ignore her constant tremors. She hadn't been able to pull up her facade once she dropped it. He saw how weak and exhausted she was, and honestly Aria had been surprised he hadn't mocked her for it. Perhaps he had been scared that she would destroy him, too, if he wasn't careful.

The thought was appealing, but ultimately pointless. If Arlong died, a crewmate would take his place, and they would not being telling her to go to Kakuzu for her wounds. No, they would make more, and would leave her to die. The devil she knew was much more preferable.

The water was losing its heat. Aria turned it up until her skin turned red at the temperature. Then she shoved her self-hatred deep inside herself, and began cleaning herself. She couldn't change the past no more than she could predict the future. All Aria could do was work, study, and keep herself out of trouble. She _would_ work.

Aria glanced at the injury on her arm, and turned up her nose. It was barely a scratch, something she could take care of herself if she so desired. Even her paltry medical knowledge could handle this. But Aria would humor Arlong, if only because he was now truly her captain, before settling down to complete her prototypes. After all, now that she was his subordinate, his goals were her goals, were they not? Even if they involved murder.

Aria dressed in a light green tanktop and her usual heavy work capris, intending to change into something more protective once she got to the workshop. Her hair would dry as Kakuzu examined her, so she brushed out any tangles and slipped a hair tie on her wrist. Aria was pleased to note that she felt less numb now, replaced by eagerness to work, and took that as a sign she had taken the right choice of action.

It didn't take long to find Kakuzu once she had reached the party, as he was cackling with a few crewmates, eagerly drinking and laughing. Seeing him interact with others, Aria was surprised that he treated her just as amicably as them. Still, she approached him hesitantly, wondering if he would still treat her as nicely as he had before.

The men Kakuzu had been chatting with noticed Aria waiting before he did, and they pointed her out before leaving to go talk to someone else. Kakuzu was slightly tipsy, but he still examined her injuries quickly and efficiently.

"These aren't too bad, but I'd rather take care of these than let you do it."

"I suppose it won't hurt. But I leave soon, you know?"

Kakuzu hummed. "Not sure about that." He slowly applied iodine over each of her scrapes, ignoring Aria's hisses of pain with a doctor's ease, and began rebandaging them.

Aria's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Kakuzu shrugged like it was unimportant. "Arlong's in a good mood, and you did well in your initiation, I heard. He probably will want to watch your progress on your work for another day before he lets you go back home. Or he'll be too busy counting his money. Heh."

Aria clucked her tongue in annoyance, but didn't say anything more on the issue. "He wanted me to talk to you about my...initiation, I believe."

Kakuzu pursed his lips as he rebandaged Aria's leg and arm. "Yes, we'll need to discuss that." He finally said, with a heavy sigh. "While your injuries are physically fine, the mental trauma you probably went through today is definitely worth examining."

Aria pointedly ignored the concerned look Kakuzu gave her, instead focusing on some of the decor. "I suppose. But I'd rather just work through it."

Kakuzu nodded. "Giving your emotions an easy outlet is a good first step. I'm concerned that you may start to look at us negatively, though. I don't want you to grow to resent us, Aria-chan."

Aria met him with confusion. "Why does that matter?" Kakuzu finished bandaging her injuries. They were tighter than what Aria had managed, and hung much better against her skin. It was probably for the better that she had come to get checked up, because her bandaging seemed much sloppier in comparison.

Kakuzu frowned, opened his mouth to say something, and closed it when the words he wanted to say seemed to fail him. He took a few moments to gather himself before trying again. "It would be nice if you would become our nakama." He crossed his tentacles wearily. "Arlong has had such few good experiences with humans, and he has ruined any chances of being nakama with Nami-chan simply by how he recruited her."

Aria fiddled with the hem of her tank top. She remembered how angry Nami always seemed to be towards Arlong, and how spiteful she acted towards Aria as a result of his influence. But Aria had no one to lose but herself. "Yes, I could see how that would be a potential fear. It would be counterintuitive to work together with those sort of feelings, though."

Kakuzu laughed deeply. "You don't really get out much, do you? If you think like that."

Aria flushed at his laughter, and bit back a scathing comment. "No, not really." She admitted slowly. "This idea of nakama is as new as being a pirate. Even being friends with Hachi is...an interesting development."

"Oh, so the hermit in your epitaph wasn't just an over-exaggeration, then."

"Yeah."

Kakuzu hummed thoughtfully. "You seem to be adapting well."

Aria shrugged. "In small doses."

"I hope you'll see me as nakama, someday." That statement caught Aria off-guard completely, and she stared at the jellyfish fishman, waiting for him to laugh like it was a joke or something. Instead, he continued, "my former captain had wanted for humans and fishmen to have a prosperous future together. If we're friends, hopefully we can work together towards that future."

Aria hadn't known Kakuzu had ever been in another crew. Yet, if he wanted a happy future for humans and fishmen why was he following Arlong? Her train of thought must have shown on her face. "Arlong wanted that too, at one point. He just...got lost, along the way. Life was cruel, especially in recent years. And now...even though he hates humans so much, he still wants to live with them under the same sun."

Aria snorted. "Sounds fake, but okay."

Kakuzu shrugged his many-tentacled shoulders. "You can believe what you want. I'd still like for us to be nakama in the future. And hopefully you can be nakama with Arlong, too."

Aria crossed her arms and looked at the door separating the office from the party. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens, I guess. Thanks for taking care of me, Kakuzu."

"Anytime, Aria-chan. Don't be a stranger, now."

* * *

The party had been going on for a few hours, and was slowly winding down. Everyone was exhausted from the fight and travel, and then they were lulled to sleep by a full belly and a brain full of booze. Chew could slowly see people slipping out to sleep. Kuroobi had been one of the first to disappear from the party, no surprise, but the hermit woman had him beat by only showing up for a few moments. Hachi and Arlong were still going strong, both engaged in a heavy drinking contest with Kurayami and Borze.

Chew was tempted to head upstairs and pass out himself, knowing the party would wither just fine by itself, but he was hoping that the drinking contest would end soon and he could collect his winnings from the betting pool. He had a good feeling Borze would be winning this time around, because the liquor they'd gotten from Mata Nui was his drink of choice. Hachi was behind at the moment, with Kurayami just a few drinks ahead, and Borze and Arlong neck-and-neck.

Unfortunately, the contest just kept dragging on and on. Borze would take a drink, and Arlong would quickly follow it up. Hachi seemed to be struggling to keep up, and almost threw in the towel until Kurayami fell off his stool and didn't drag himself back up for a good couple of minutes, allowing Hachi to catch up while Arlong cackled. Chew stubbornly kept himself awake through pure determination, even though he was slumping against the countertop, his cheek digging into his fist.

The other gamblers were slowly dropping, some literally falling asleep on the floor. Chew would've done the same, but there was no way he was letting his delicate clothes fall victim to some drunken asshole dropping their beer or food or _worse_. The horror made him wake up, at least. If he hadn't, he might've missed Nami sneaking along the corner and snatching some food before disappearing back upstairs, a sneer on her face. Chew would've rolled his eyes, but he was sure the room would have spun far too fast for him to keep his balance if he did. Besides, he was sure he saw her carting off with some alcohol, too. She was underage, but they were fucking pirates. Maybe he'd get lucky and she'd fall off into some water.

After far too many drinks, Hachi and Arlong finally called in the towel at the same time, and Chew gleefully pocketed his winnings from the unconscious losers.

* * *

Arlong woke to whimpering, but couldn't pinpoint its source. Aria was next to him, asleep with her back to him, somehow having managed to not wake him up when she came to bed. Probably because he'd drunk himself into a stupor, and barely managed to get himself to bed without passing out. Arlong closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, wondering if he had imagined the sound as part of a dream.

He had almost fallen back asleep when there was another whimper, sounding mournful and fretting. Arlong rolled onto his side before pushing himself up, and examined Aria. She was still asleep, but the worry etched into her face meant it wasn't pleasant.

Arlong frowned, unsure of what to do in this situation. Shyarly had nightmares frequently, but she woke up quickly and merely needed some water and a hug before being sent back to bed. Hachi had dealt with his nightmares by watching the sea, not ever expressing something was wrong unless asked. Chew only had ridiculous nightmares, ones that he quickly went back to sleep after and would joke about in the morning. And you could never tell if Kuroobi was having a nightmare or not until he was on his feet, walking away without a purpose or a cause, until he sheepishly came to his senses and returned to bed. Would Aria need comforting? Or would she leave and go back to the workshop? Both options made Arlong feel uneasy, especially as he recalled the bathroom.

Another whimper broke Arlong out of his thoughts, this one slightly muffled by Aria biting her lip anxiously. With a frown, Arlong gently shook her. "Aria-chan." Aria stirred slowly, blinking away her dreams as she woke up. She looked up at Arlong with a muddled expression, somewhere between hurt and confusion and something else that Arlong couldn't place.

"...Thank you." Aria murmured, once she was awake enough to realize what had happened. Arlong grunted in response, unsure of what to do next. A sniffle made Arlong tense. Was she going to start crying? Arlong had no clue how he would deal with that. He became even more uncomfortable when Aria rolled over and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face into him.

"Don't cry all over me!" Arlong snapped before he could stop himself.

"I'm not crying. Shut up." Came Aria's muffled response. It wasn't angry like he expected, not carrying any of her usual bite, but tired. "Are you going to lay down, or are you going to sit like that all night?"

Arlong growled lowly and laid down, Aria's arms releasing him for just long enough that he could get comfortable before pressing into him again. Arlong would consider the affection uncharacteristic, but honestly he'd never dealt with how a normal human handled nightmares, let alone Aria. And after today's events, perhaps Aria needed the comfort, no matter how much she hated people or him. So Arlong stifled his irritation and discomfort, and let his hand find her hair, stroking it softly. If he imagined it was his sister, he felt less awkward about comforting her.

"Are you okay?" He asked. It was no surprise that she had a nightmare tonight, after Mata Nui. There had been enough bloodshed and violence for a civilian to never want to experience it again, especially after what Arlong had tasked Aria with. The fishman pursed his lips, wondering what lingering effects Mata Nui would have on the scientist. He didn't want there to be a problem.

Perhaps he should have struck a deal with her, like he had with Nami. The reason he had chosen that task was due to how difficult it was to peg what Aria would be interested in to make such a deal, and her lack of blackmail material worked against her.

At the time, it had been glorious, watching her be so subservient. Calling him captain, as she took her place as a member of his crew. Now, though...he wondered if he'd do it differently, if he had the chance. She had reacted so violently when a bounty was going to be placed on her head. Arlong grimaced, wondering when he'd have the time to kick _that_ hornet's nest of a problem.

"...I'll be fine." Aria replied. Arlong hummed. With that slow, delayed response, she wasn't, but didn't want him asking more questions.

"You haven't gotten much sleep."

"Yeah. I was working." Arlong had expected that when he couldn't find her at the party.

"How's it coming along?"

"Nicely. Just need to add a few more things and program it, and then it should be ready to test." Aria was speaking slowly, slurring her words a bit. Arlong hoped she would fall asleep soon.

"You don't need to rush it. Your wounds won't heal if you don't rest." Arlong murmured. Aria made an annoyed noise.

"It helped me feel better." She replied, voice tinged with a whine. Arlong made a mental note of Aria working through her troubles, not surprised she tried to be productive as a way of dealing with them.

"Ah," Arlong said, "is this helping, too?"

There was a long silence before Aria replied, "yeah, it is."

Arlong hummed thoughtfully, and wrapped an arm around Aria, pulling her closer to his chest. Aria tensed at his closeness, her breath hitching, but relaxed when he resumed petting her. Arlong studied her as she laid in his arms, desperately seeking comfort. Her round face had a small frown etched into it, and while that wasn't unusual for her, it held a heavier weight. Her entire body seemed overworked, as Arlong could still notice her shoulders trembling ever so slightly, despite it having been hours since she had vomited. She was so small and fragile compared to him, despite the airs she put up, and terribly innocent somehow despite her distrust and misanthropy. He had sullied that, so perhaps he ought to make it up to her somehow. He doubted their partnership would survive amicably, otherwise.

"Today was hard on you." Arlong murmured, and brushed Aria's wild curls out of her face. Aria hummed an agreement, eyes half-lidded and breathing slow. "But you're officially part of my crew now. You shouldn't need to do that again, unless it's absolutely necessary." Aria sucked in a breath, and looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "You're my scientist, and you shouldn't be out on the front lines. I'll still have you come with us, but if worst comes to worst, we'll try and kill them so you won't have to."

Aria's expression turned mystified, like she was working on some sort of puzzle that she had misjudged. "I won't have to?" She repeated, so softly that even despite their closeness Arlong barely heard it. Arlong nodded, and Aria smiled at him for a brief, breath-taking moment before her gaze fell from his face, lips trembling. "I don't want to have to. I thought it would be alright, if I had to, but…" Her fingers clenched at his skin as she trailed off.

Arlong blinked slowly, and came to the realization that Aria had completely dropped her guard after waking. There was none of her usual distrust or analyzing, nor any scathing comments. Just tiredness and more vulnerability than Arlong ever expected to see from the harsh, hiding hermit. She was so much softer than he had expected, despite her fortitude at Mata Nui. And while he knew she would kill again if he told her to, this side of Aria that needed comforting and that spoke softly, timidly, and tiredly made him feel awkward and protective."I won't make you."

Aria squeezed him tightly, lithe fingers tightly gripping his skin, and Arlong found himself truly hoping she wouldn't need to fight as he continued stroking Aria's hair until she drifted off. She was officially his crewmate now, and he didn't like anyone hurting what was his.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Hachi had spun her a tale of companionship. Of people who would follow each other to the ends of the earth, to the edge of hell if need be. Hachi had lured her lonely, isolationist heart towards the Arlong Pirates with promises of friendship and family.

She should have known it wouldn't be so easy. Aria was not an easy person to get along with.

* * *

AN: I've decided on which path I'm going to take with this story. Which is great! With NaNoWriMo coming up soon, that leaves me all of October to plot out the later events in a very detailed way so I can start doing some test scenes for those later events during NaNoWriMo. I'm going to aim to write about 1k words per day during November, but I do my best work when I can just brainstorm a random scene all day at work and then come home and write it, so the fruits of my labor will be very behind the scenes for a while.


	15. Lonely Heart

**Chapter 15:** Lonely Heart

AN: Wow, I can't believe we're already at chapter fifteen! It's been a long time since I've posted anything so long to the internet. 10 years ago was the last time I had written a longfic consistently, and it was about 30 chapters long. I sucked so bad, but it was fun. Here's to another 15 chapters (and a lot more)!

* * *

Aria was eager to go back home, where there was no one but Hachi to interact with. Everyone had heard about Mata Nui, and had questioned her with varying degrees of surprise. Her new crewmates had found her no matter where she hid, and kept trying to talk to her about Mata Nui and her sound powers and various other questions that seemed endless. Before, they had regarded her with suspicion and skepticism, and she had heard whispers that she was only there as one of Arlong's whims. Now everyone suddenly seemed much more interested in her.

Everyone except Nami, who had looked at her with absolute disgust before disappearing.

All Aria had to do was gather the rest of her supplies and be on her way home. She had left most of her non-essential belongings in the compound, for the next time she came to the mainland. Arlong had promised to drop her prototype and building materials off later, so she didn't need to worry about them. Hachi was coming with her to the stores, so there was no need for her to wait for him to take her home.

She appreciated her foresight, because she didn't want to spend any more time at the compound more than she had to. Her feelings were muddled and confusing, and she couldn't focus on anything but the simplest tasks. She hated it. At least shopping with Hachi was helping her get her mind off things, and the shopping list provided an easy goal for her to focus on.

"Honestly, I'm glad everything has been going so well. I was expecting things yesterday to go a lot worse, nyuu. Things around the compound will settle down for a while until Arlong finds a new place of interest, and we can just relax." Hachi chattered amiably at her, filling the air with a cheery mood that Aria couldn't help but appreciate after the day before.

"You can just relax, you mean." Aria replied, smiling. She didn't feel like it was genuine, but she still felt so detached from everything that perhaps she was wrong. "Arlong is keeping me confined to the island, and wants me exclusively working on my prototype til the materials for the first iteration come in. I might not even have time for gardening…"

Hachi lit up even more. "Oh, that's right! I've been taking really good care of your garden, Aria-chan! I followed your notes and everything, nyuu. It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad you entrusted that to me."

Aria laughed at Hachi's eagerness. He didn't do anything without giving it his all, did he? She could respect that. "I'm sure you did a great job. Thanks for taking care of it."

Hachi flushed at her praise, his grin never leaving his face. Aria found herself wondering how such a cheerful man could go and take over entire islands and then find himself genuinely smiling the next day. "If you ever need to leave for a while, don't hesitate to ask me for help, okay, Aria-chan?"

"I will, don't worry." Aria promised. Despite how uncomfortable she was with yesterday's events, it was nice to know that Hachi would still offer his support and friendship. Even if she hated herself for her actions, Hachi didn't bat an eye at her. Perhaps that was why Arlong loved him like a brother? Hachi would stick with him, no matter what atrocities he committed. They were nakama, and they would be with each other through thick and thin.

Would Aria be like that too? Aria enjoyed Hachi's company, after spending at least a little time with him every day for the last month, and she didn't doubt that there would be an emptiness if he ever left now. But to become so fond that they were family? That no matter what he did, there was no way Aria would despise Hachi? It sounded like a fairy tale, but...It would be nice if she could actually have something like that. With Hachi or Arlong or anyone.

It was a pipe dream, Aria knew, because her tendency was to avoid everyone. That hadn't been more apparent until today, when she actively spent hours hiding and avoiding everyone but Hachi and Arlong. Aria knew she needed to interact with people to heal, to get grounded, to feel better about her actions. But she would rather hide and avoid people and feel miserable with her own thoughts. Even if she wanted to connect, with her personality it would be impossible.

"So what did we need to get today?" Hachi asked, breaking Aria out of her thoughts. They had passed the rice paddies a while ago, and were now pretty far into town. It was a busy day for Cocoyashi, but all the citizens were mulling about as they approached.

" _Nami-chan came back crying last night_."

"I'm going to get some meat to bring back to the island, and some other food items I can't really get on the island." Aria replied. The townspeople were eyeing her and Hachi like they had a few days ago, with suspicion and intent to gossip. Aria ignored them with her expert practice, but Hachi seemed less able to. His head swivelled around nervously, but he kept his smile wide and otherwise acted naturally.

" _I heard the hermit went raiding._ "

"Ah. Arlong wanted me to start bringing over food for you. I forgot." Hachi hummed to himself. "Since it's just you on the island, you don't go through food that fast, do you?"

" _She really is one of them now, isn't she?_ "

"No, I mostly just stock up a lot and shove it in the freezer. I'm not experienced enough with foodhandling to cure or salt anything yet." Aria pursed her lips. The villagers were looking at her and Hachi with utter disdain. Hachi still glanced around nervously, but kept his cool. "Meals get less exciting when all I have are fruits and veggies. Oh, I should get some more spices, too."

" _Yeah, she's a murderer now. There's probably another orphan like Nami-chan on that island they raided._ "

Hachi flexed dramatically, causing Aria to smile despite the whispers. "Well, feel free to stock up, as I'll be here to help you carry everything you need, nyuu!"

" _What a monster._ "

"Thanks, Hachi. You're so nice." He truly was. Aria was grateful he was here. That he didn't look at her with the malice of the villagers.

"Heeheehee."

* * *

Aria only said goodbye to a few people before she returned to her island. Gajeel, Dresden, Kakuzu, and the few men who came to see her off. Chew, Kuroobi, and Arlong had all been absent, off taking care of other things, and Aria left with little fanfare as a result. She was surprised that anyone had come to see her off at all, and Hachi was glad he'd managed to round up a few people to do so.

Hachi returned to Conomi as quickly as possible after dropping off Aria and her supplies. He really needed to talk to Arlong.

Hachi felt like he took far too long to find Arlong, but he was grateful that he was finally able to catch up. Arlong had been darting through the floors, talking to the men about Mata Nui and gathering feedback. Hachi finally found Arlong talking to men that had been sinking ships with Hachi.

"Ah, Hachi-nii, you got back pretty quick." Arlong greeted, giving him a quick wave.

"Yeah, Aria-chan didn't need as much help as I thought in moving stuff. She got everything under wraps really quickly, nyuu."

One of the men, Borze, grinned impishly. "You sure she didn't just scare you away? Her sound powers are pretty terrifying."

"Yeah, I thought her devil fruit abilities would be pretty lame, but after yesterday I'm glad she didn't put up much of a fight in joining us." Another, Kurayami, piped up.

Arlong frowned, and chose his words carefully. "Yes, it's a good thing she's such a strong asset. She'll be very useful."

"Nyuu, I was actually wanting to speak to you about her." Hachi interjected, stopping the third crewman, Touya, from saying something. The octopus fishman crossed his many arms and frowned as he thought about what had transpired in Cocoyashi. Arlong raised a brow, prompting Hachi to continue. "I thought we would have more time before the villagers started turning on Aria-chan for joining us, but it looks like she's already getting nasty rumors tossed about."

Touya scoffed. "Well, she's a pirate now, that's nothing new."

"She wasn't officially a pirate until yesterday." Hachi reminded.

Arlong shrugged. "She knew it was coming. Probably not this soon, but we talked about it when we went to town before."

"We need to keep an eye on her." Hachi said, firmly. He uncrossed a set of arms to scratch the back of his head as he scowled. "I know Aria-chan doesn't really care about the villagers, but attacking her is the same as attacking one of us now. We would have to retaliate, nyuu. And it would upset her."

Arlong scoffed. "I doubt it. She's so practiced at pretending they don't exist, I doubt she'd care if we got rid of a few."

Hachi shook his head in disagreement. "No, the way she was acting today, I really doubt she'd be as unaffected as you think. But that's not the point, nyuu." Arlong matched Hachi's posture and considered it.

Arlong sighed heavily. "We'll keep an eye on her island." Hachi grinned. "I don't doubt that there will be marines trying to use her to get to me in the future, after all."

"Patrolling by her island won't be so hard." One of the men piped up. "I'll let the others know later tonight."

Arlong nodded and waved him off. "Do it now. I don't want anyone slacking on this."

"You got it, boss!"

* * *

Aria locked herself in her lab the second after she put everything in its rightful place. She needed to focus. To get back into her work. Now that she was alone, she could push away her emotions and Arlong and what she'd done and just fully focus on bettering herself. After all, no one else was going to master the Kssh-Kssh fruit but her. No one was going to redeem her but her.

Mastering her fruit had always been her original goal, from the second it was gifted to her. She had been so happy and surprised that all of her hard work had been acknowledged, and that she was deemed important enough to be given such a treasure. Devil fruits were rare, especially logias with such unknown potential. Even as a small child, Aria had been ambitious about gaining knowledge and putting it to use by diligently recording its properties. There was so much she could _do_ with it. She needed to know _everything_.

Needing to know everything was what brought her to the East Blue in the first place. Her constant feelings of insecurity and of being trapped back then were just an added bonus.

Aria knew the amount of sound she used to complete her initiation was...overzealous. She knew that was due to her lack of practice. There was never a need to actually destroy anything or anyone before. At the most, all she ever had to do was hurt them temporarily or make them nauseous. Aqua Atlus had always preached restraint and other methods for dealing with enemies, and therefore combat training was always more focused on seduction or escape tactics. Arlong had succumbed to one of those methods already, Aria recalled with a mixture of glee and embarrassment. But the methods of her homeland wouldn't help her any further, at least not when it mattered most. Aria needed to harness her powers with more finesse. To find the exact tipping point between pain and destruction. To fully master and hopefully awaken her devil fruit.

It was just convenient that focusing so fully on her powers would distract her from the self-loathing she still felt. After all, who would want the praise of a man who asked her to kill for him? Aria, apparently.

Despite the fact that he was a murderer, despite the fact that he intended to rule over the East Blue with an iron fist, despite the fact that he had once wanted to kill her, Aria wanted his praise. Aria wanted his comfort. Aria wanted his friendship. It was somehow outweighing her desire to be left alone and to avoid everyone, and the hermit didn't know how to deal with it in the slightest.

It probably didn't help that everyone at Arlong Park practically idolized the man or was a childhood friend. Only Nami seemed to dislike him, his charisma not managing to overpower his cruelty to her.

Aria could understand why people were fond of her new captain. If they were background static, with their muddles emotions and personalities and desires, he was a loud, clear bell, the ringing announcing his intent to conquer and lead. Where they were half-formed goals and unrealized dreams, he was action and palpability. Certainly, he was no stranger to taking material goods and hoarding them, and he wasn't afraid to share that with his crew. Somehow his graceless brutality that he wore like armor was part of his charm, having the confidence to crush anyone that dare stand in his way with his bare hands.

With a disgusted sigh, Aria pulled out whatever she had nearby that could be destroyed without consequence. She was going to find the tipping point. She was going to become better. She was going to have such control over her abilities that she would never be backed into such a corner like this again. Never.

She wanted to control her future. She wanted to make her own path. Even if Aria belonged to Arlong now, she wasn't going to let him hold her back or dictate her destiny of becoming the best damn scientist in this ocean.

* * *

Arlong kept corrupting Aria. First Aria had joined his group, then Nami had found them playing duets, and now Aria was _killing_ for him.

It disgusted her. Her stomach twisted in anger and disappointment and loathing.

Nami stared at the pile of books Arlong had left with as much hatred as if it were him. Arlong ruined everything for her. Her life, her family, her dream. Now it was her idol.

Nami needed to free Aria just as much as she needed to free everyone else in Cocoyashi. But she doubted Arlong would just let Nami buy her freedom as part of their deal. No, with how fond he was of her, it would probably take another 100 million berries.

Or she could take the easy way out, and kill Arlong. Originally, Nami had thought someone would just take Arlong's place and rule over his empire. But after talking with Hachi, it seemed that the fishmen had little interest in ruling humans. They just wanted to pillage and kill, like the monstrous pirates they were.

Nami laughed at herself harshly as she drew up the sea chart Arlong had wanted. Killing Arlong was a pipe dream within a pipe dream. Even with Kuroobi's training, there was no way she could stand up to him. For now, all she could focus on was when she could take down other pirates. Human pirates.

Nami hadn't tested her skills yet, but she didn't doubt that she would be able to go on her first beli-hunt soon. She would hunt other pirates, and take their money, and save her village.

And then Nami would save Aria.

No matter how disgusting Aria became, Nami knew she couldn't just let go of her childhood idol. Not to Arlong. Not after Bellemere was taken by him. Nami wouldn't lose Aria to him too.

Nami wouldn't lose anyone ever again if she could help it.

The thought of keeping everyone safe filled her with determination, and she poured it into her map-making. Just as it had the last two months, and just as it would for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Arlong had thought he could just send Aria back to her island and things would return to normal. For the most part, they had. Aria wasn't stirring up commotion with the men, stubbornly working alongside them despite their dislike. There were no heated whispers or suspicious glares directed her way anymore, nor was Aria's face forced into a permanent frown or a forced indifference whenever she left Arlong's floor.

But Arlong couldn't think of her as just a tool anymore, and that was the worst. Aria would flicker into his mind not as potential, not as ambition, but as a sly smirk or a genuine smile. Aria's voice wasn't a shriek to fix her door, or a fearful whimper as she begged for him to spare her, but a promising purr or a playful taunt. His worst memory of her had changed from her attacking him with eyes full of anger to the pained expression he had seen in his bathroom after their attack on Mata Nui, the forced way she had held herself together when she just wanted to collapse. His best had changed from her first experiment result to when she had praised him on his skill in tattooing and when she had gleefully realized he could play the piano. (He wouldn't admit to himself, not even in a million years, that his real best was him toying with her until she seduced him, purring his name so sweetly that he wanted her moaning it beneath him.)

Thoughts of her would just come at the worst of times, and it was distracting. Arlong wished he could just destroy all thoughts of Aria, but it was ever so hard when little remnants of her were sprinkled throughout his suite. Coconut-scented shampoo and honey-scented bodywash left in the bathroom. Feminine clothes folded in two neat piles on top of his dresser, for when she next stayed at Arlong Park. Textbooks she had left for him to go through on the table. The letters and books Arlong had stolen from her in his underwear drawer.

Arlong could bear all that reasonably well, it was just a matter of not looking at those things. But her _scent_ was everywhere, from the bathroom to the couch to his bed, and Arlong had never had a love-hate relationship with a fucking smell before.

Aria's smell was a mixture of her shampoo and bodywash, combined with something Arlong couldn't put his finger on but that was pleasant and soothing. It was sweet and watery, clinging onto anything it could, and had somehow permeated into even Arlong's clothes. Arlong had never even noticed its presence until Aria had returned to her island, hadn't even realized he could recognize a scent as hers, but once he did, he was in hell.

It had gotten so bad that he spent as little time as possible in his room, choosing instead to visit with his crew until he was too tired to resist sleep.

One night, he had come back to his room so completely exhausted that he imagined Aria was there. When he woke up in the middle of the night and found her actually there, Arlong was so surprised he fell out of bed. Aria had woken up with a confused expression, which worsened which she saw Arlong on the floor.

"...Why are you on the floor?" Aria slurred, sleepiness affecting her ability to talk. Arlong gawked at her as she rubbed her eye sleepily.

"...Why are you in my _bed_?" Arlong had shot back roughly.

Aria pursed her lips and shrugged. Arlong stared at her disapprovingly until she felt awkward, which resulted in her averting her gaze and looking mighty embarrassed. "...I didn't want to sleep alone. Kept having bad dreams."

Arlong blinked slowly, trying to comprehend what she had just told him. "So you came all the way over to Arlong Park because you kept having bad dreams?" Arlong repeated, annoyance and disbelief heavy in his voice. Aria bit her lip and nodded. Arlong pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "In that shitty row boat?"

"I used my devil fruit powers. It's not too far. It helped me get tired, anyway." Aria muttered dejectedly, and Arlong stared at her in disbelief.

"...I can't fucking believe you sometimes." Arlong picked himself off the floor and brushed off his pants. "I'll go get Hachi-nii to take you home."

"No." Aria firmly said, looking Arlong right in the eye. "I'm going back to sleep." Aria laid back down and rolled over towards the window. Arlong glared at her despite the fact she couldn't see it. He considered his options, but eventually just decided he was too tired to deal with the issue of the hermit in his bed. Arlong sighed reluctantly, and laid back down beside Aria, glaring at her bedhead.

"...I didn't mean to startle you. I figured you would've noticed." Aria muttered so quietly Arlong could barely hear it.

"I don't really care." Arlong grumbled, and rolled onto his stomach. There was only silence and breathing for a long while, until, "were the dreams about Mata Nui?"

Aria rolled over to face him, and nodded sullenly. "Yeah." Arlong hadn't expected her to still be so affected by that, but he should have known better. That sort of event wasn't something you just forgot after a few days. Arlong sighed grumpily, and pulled her to his side. Aria squeaked in surprise, but settled into Arlong's side within moments. Aria tentatively slid her hand up Arlong's bare back, and he resisted the urge to shudder at the tickling sensation by firmly wrapping his arm around her waist. She was warm, and she smelled nice, and it was even harder to tell her to fuck off when she sighed so blissfully against his skin.

"Go to sleep. I'll get Hachi-nii when you wake up." Arlong promised, and Aria smiled against his side.

"...Thank you." Aria said so sweetly Arlong had to swallow. Arlong merely grunted, and rubbed small circles in her skin slowly and soothingly, the way Shyarly had done when they were kids and he'd woken up from his own frightful dreams. Slowly, Aria fell asleep. Surprisingly, it was easier to ignore her scent when the feel of her skin was distracting him. Arlong pulled her as close as possible and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

A couple days passed. Aria was slowly piecing herself back together, forming new ways to accept herself.

Hachi had spun her a tale of companionship. Of people who would follow each other to the ends of the earth, to the edge of hell if need be. Hachi had lured her lonely, isolationist heart towards the Arlong Pirates with promises of friendship and family.

She should have known it wouldn't be so easy. Aria was not an easy person to get along with. Arlong was even harder to get along with, unless you were a fishman.

But she _was_ lonely. Despite her misanthropic nature, she knew she needed people. She _hated_ that she needed people. It spurned her, made her feel weak that she needed others. She wanted nothing but self-reliance. But she was _lonely_.

Despite her mistrust of people, despite her misanthropy, Aria had hated the last few years alone. She'd been able to work as much as she pleased, and study as much as she wanted. But the only time she had felt fulfilled was when she had left her island, and interacted with others. Even though she had been scared and nervous, thoughts of what men and marines could do to her plaguing her mind, she had enjoyed going to town or visiting other Abroaders.

Spending the week at Arlong Park had been fun. Even though Aria had been so nervous she wanted nothing more than the sea to swallow her up, everything had been fun. Even Mata Nui had been exciting, though she still couldn't look at herself in a mirror yet.

It had been so, so long since she had laughed. Playing duets or accompanying sea shanties with her music had been even longer. It felt like those things had happened in another life, with how long it had been. Hell, she had to get use to skin contact again after so many years without touching another person.

So despite her self-hatred, despite her wariness...Aria decided she still wanted to believe in Hachi's tales. Aria still wanted to try and be nakama.

It was going to take a lot of work, Aria realized. She usually tried her hardest to avoid contact with others. Arlong's men gave her plenty of opportunity to act otherwise, and Aria felt amused at how they no longer feigned like they weren't passing through to keep an eye on her.

She approached the men who patrolled her island, offering them fruit she had gathered or vegetables. When she felt especially generous, she even offered fish or other hard-to-come-by provisions.

The men seemed uncomfortable at first by her actions, as they clearly didn't expect her to approach them. But she had gotten two of their names, one of the men being named Borze, and another being named Touya.

Borze was tall and broad, with light red skin and fins protruding from his forearms and the back of his head. He had a long face, but it wasn't gaunt like Arlong's, and was instead a bit chubby. It reminded her of a chocolate cornet. His eyes were a surprising shade of purple, and his burgundy hair was tied into a loose ponytail. He patrolled with a halberd attached to his back, and looked very serious most of the time, but Aria was easily able to give him some of Hachi's beer and some food.

"Man, Hachi-nii had mentioned you were a good cook, but I figured he was just being Hachi-nii. This is really good!" Borze had managed to off four cans of the cheap beer Hachi had brought her, and Aria was grateful that they were gone. She had tried one, and poured it down the sink.

"Thank you!" Aria chirped, and she was grateful that Hachi kept spreading good praise of her to her new comrades. She would have a much harder time befriending them otherwise.

"Arlong-taichou said we ought to keep an eye on you, since the villagers are up in arms about you joining us," Borze informed, between bites of shish kabobs. "Kuroobi-sensei said much less pleasant things."

Aria grimaced. Kuroobi still wasn't fond of her, and Aria doubted he would be for a long time. "I had a feeling. There's not much I can do to encourage Kuroobi's trust, is there?"

Borze shrugged. "He likes people who can fight, and you're kind of a liability."

"Arlong has offered to let him train me." Aria protested with a sigh, tapping her index finger to her lip. "He made Arlong train me instead."

Borze let out a low whistle, and the grimace on his face made it clear what he thought about that. "Well, take it as a sign of respect. He sees you're a threat, even if you can't fight. It's not like you're a little kid, like Nami-chan. You're more..." Borze tilted his head, thinking for a few moments, and then he gave an apologetic shrug. "Well, I can't think of the right word. But you get what I mean, yeah?"

Aria nodded.

"Don't look so sullen! I'm sure he'll warm up to you within a few years." Borze laughed heartily at Aria's balking face, and then waved goodbye.

Touya, on the other hand, was small and lithe. He was probably the smallest fishman Aria had ever seen, minus the children. He still stood a full head taller than her. He was undeniably handsome, with high cheekbones and delicate lips, though he seemed kind of over-dressed for the weather on Conomi, dressed in long-sleeved dress shirts and trousers. He had light blue skin and eyes, and even icier looking hair, and completed his look with makeup that seemed befitting winter fashion. Aria had managed to win him over by giving away several mangoes that she hadn't intended to eat anyway.

"I'm surprised you're giving these away. They're so delicious." Touya smiled gently, and helped himself to the fruit.

"I've had so many of them that I've grown to dislike them." Aria explained. "They grow a lot here."

"Well, I don't mind taking them off your hands, then." He ate the mangos whole, and Aria had to struggle to keep a straight face. Arlong and Hachi were aggressive eaters, and were capable of biting right through crab shells like they were nothing, but they at least didn't try and engulf their food in a single bite like Touya had. "By the way, how's being an Arlong Pirate so far?"

Aria thought over her answer for a few moments, tapping her finger on her lips. "It's...different than I expected, but not entirely." When Touya raised a brow, she continued, "I mean, I had expected that it would be hard since Arlong hates humans so openly, but he's surprisingly...I don't want to say _friendly_ , but...amicable?"

Touya scoffed, but smiled in unabashed mirth. "Arlong-san is plenty friendly to the rest of us, but as you said, he finds you humans disgusting."

Aria nodded, grimacing. "It makes him rather prickly."

"No, he's always been prickly to us, too." Touya said. "But that's more of an answer about _Arlong_ instead of how you feel about being a pirate." He gave her a teasing smile.

Aria's cheeks burned, and she pursed her lips. How was she suppose to talk about being a pirate when she had Arlong for a captain? "Being a pirate so far has been...more..." She refused to look at Touya in the face, unable to watch his emotions as she admitted how she felt about being a part of their little group. "More... _fun_ than I expected. I like hanging out with Hachi and Kakuzu and the blacksmiths. But pirates are known for doing horrible things, and...I've already had to do some awful shit." She clenched her biceps as she spoke, and her brows furrowed.

"Ah...Yeah, I heard about that." Touya admitted. He sounded uncomfortable, and Aria's eyes glanced up to see an unhappy expression on his face. "I can't say I really approve of that decision, but we can't afford to show any weakness towards the humans. If we don't subjugate them without hesitation, they won't think twice about turning the tables on us." He sounded so bitter that Aria couldn't help remembering how Chew spoke at Mata Nui. it was curious, and Aria wondered why Touya, Chew, and even Arlong all managed to speak in that same jaded way.

"Not that I don't doubt you, but...why do you think that?"

Touya's surprise made his jaw drop. He quickly regained his composure, though it took him a few moments to consider his answer. "I mean...it's something we've had beaten into us since we were kids. Us fishmen." Aria tilted her head, listening with her full attention. "Even though I didn't go into the Fishman District until the Sun Pirates were formed, everyone on Fishman Island was so afraid of humans. They would come and take us in broad daylight, to sell or to rape or to kill." Touya swallowed roughly, emotion thickening his throat. "And the Fishman District, where almost everyone else in the crew is from...it was so much _worse_ there, because humans knew they wouldn't be missed. It wasn't uncommon for people to just _disappear_."

 _Disappear_. The implication made Aria shiver. Even though she wanted to leave society, that was her choice. She didn't have many people who would miss her. But she couldn't imagine someone like sociable like Hachi or charismatic like Arlong just vanishing, never to be heard from again. She could imagine the void it would leave in the community if it did happen.

Touya grew angry. "Humans would come through on their way to the New World, and they would treat us like _shit_. Even if we were in a high-class neighborhood like where I grew up, we were considered lesser beings."

"Lesser…?" Aria repeated, her brows furrowing. That seemed unreal to her, although she guessed if people were willing to make seafolk slaves it wasn't too much of a stretch.

Touya nodded, a bitter expression on his face. "Yeah. They'd say we had diseases, or that we were hideous monsters that belonged in the dark, or that we were stupid beasts just imitating humans. Like they were gods or some stupid shit, and we were just animals."

"I…" Aria fumbled for something to say to that. She had thought her homeland had prepared her for the awfulness of humanity. After she had learned of the World Government's cruelty and danger through Ohara, of war through the countless battles she had studied, and of pirates...she had assumed there was nothing worse for her to find out. But Arlong had told her that the nobles still kept slaves, and that humanity ventured down into the sea to take them. Now Touya was telling her that humans were even more vicious and cruel than that. It was…"That's _awful_."

Touya scoffed and sneered, "that's putting it lightly." Regret flickered over his face for a moment. He closed his eyes and reigned in his emotions. "I didn't mean to lose my cool there. Sorry."

Aria shook her head. "No, it's fine, I understand." She touched her fingertips to her lips. "You've given me a lot to think about."

"I...should head back now." Touya said. Now he was unable to meet her eyes. "Thank you for the fruit."

"It's no problem. Stop by anytime." Touya left, his shoulders much heavier than when he first arrived, and Aria sighed heavily. She had a much harder task ahead of her than she initially assumed, if the things Touya mentioned were true. But she wasn't going to give up.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Summary**

The Arlong Pirates drop off building supplies for Aria's future weaponry, and find out how the East Blue is reacting to their attack on Mata Nui. Meanwhile, Aria tries to keep them from prying too far.

* * *

AN:When I first started thinking up ideas for this story, I really wanted to do a Harvest Moon sort of deal with Aria and her farming. But Aria grinding her farming skills wouldn't be super interesting to read :P Feel free to imagine Aria aggressively courting Arlong by giving him gifts after she's finished all her housechores!

The Kssh-Kssh fruit is pronounced like "kish-kish," and I chose that name because it seems to be one of the closer onomatopoeias to static. Like a dead TV's sound.

If you have some time, I recommend either watching or reading Perfume: The Story of a Murderer on Amazon. The next island arc (which we probably won't get to for another month, so you can read/watch at your leisure) was heavily inspired by that story, and I'm trying really, _really_ hard to make it interesting since I adore it and the next arc so much.


	16. Watchful Guardian

**Chapter 16:** Watchful Guardian

* * *

Kuroobi waited patiently as Nami circled him, watching her bo staff for tells. There was one she always exhibited before striking to the left, where her eyes flickered to his knees before she clenched her weapon and struck. She was getting into position just now, and-

Kuroobi's train of thought was interrupted by Nami suddenly lunging to the left. Thankfully, some of their practice must have gone through, because as Kuroobi raised his arms to cover his side,

Nami feinted and slipped behind him. Had Kuroobi not been watching her other tells, he wouldn't have expect her to smack at his ankles, and he wouldn't have had enough time to sidestep her before his hair whipped out and struck her in the arm.

Nami yelped and dropped her bo staff. Kuroobi tutted in disapproval. "You shouldn't let your weapon ever leave your hands in combat."

Kuroobi watched as Nami started to say something, but thought better of it. She sighed and shook her head, full of frustration and exhaustion. Despite her tiredness, she nodded resolutely and picked up her staff again.

"Show me your forms, then try again." Kuroobi instructed. Nami nodded again, and began working through the basic forms that Kuroobi had drilled into her throughout the past month.

They were finally beginning to look decent, Kuroobi thought pleasantly. Perhaps Nami wouldn't get herself killed once she was allowed to go out and fulfill her part of the standing agreement she had with Arlong. Or maybe she would, and Kuroobi would have a little bit more free time to work on the forms of Fuu and Liam.

It wasn't that Kuroobi disliked Nami. But decades of distrusting humans had left it difficult for him to accept her presence as a crewmate, even moreso after she seemed so eager to betray her village and work for Arlong. She may be a child, but children could be craftier and more devious than any adult. God knew what sort of shit the four of them had gotten into as kids.

Kuroobi easily dodged another one of Nami's attacks, and tapped her just hard enough that she would feel it in the morning and remember her sloppiness. At least she was making progress, Kuroobi told himself. It wasn't a total waste of his time, and as Arlong's whims went, training the little human girl to defend herself wasn't such a bad idea. Nami was eager to learn, and eager to apply what she learned by trying to smack Kuroobi. The little girl didn't have much luck with that, but at least she had the determination to keep going.

"That's enough for today." Kuroobi announced, after Nami completed another set of forms.

"Yes, sensei." Nami said, looking grateful. She bowed quickly and then scampered off as fast as she could. Kuroobi sighed. At the very least, Nami was gaining some discipline. Even if she would still continue to avoid them and act like every interaction was akin to pulling teeth.

Now that Nami was gone, Kuroobi found himself thinking about Arlong's other whim. The hermit scientist. Chew had made some rather rude comments about her, mostly that she seemed insufferably stuck-up for a worthless human, but Hachi had said she was quite nice when Arlong wasn't breathing down her neck. Kuroobi hadn't asked Arlong for his opinion, but judging how he had been acting so amused at her antics and bragging about her potential weaponry, Kuroobi assumed Arlong considered Aria to be some sort of pet to be played with at his whim.

That was dangerous.

Initially, Kuroobi had written Aria off as some sort of arrogant misanthropic human. All he really had to do was encourage Arlong to keep an eye on her, and to not let down his guard. She was an adult after all, and nowhere near as easily controllable as Nami was. After Mata Nui, Kuroobi was forced to reevaluate the hermit. Despite the fact she had sworn herself to Arlong, there was enough defiance in her to spell trouble. She had her own goals and motivations, ones that could potentially conflict with Arlong's ambitions. She was dangerous, with her devil fruit powers that could obliterate entire beings into nothingness. Kuroobi didn't doubt that if she got fed up enough, she could kill them. It was just good fortune that Aria wasn't interested in battle, and had no stomach for murder.

Kuroobi needed to keep an eye on her all the same. Today, he was grateful to be able to do just that.

* * *

Aria knew it was going to be a difficult day once she stepped out of her greenhouse and was met with the giant Fioran Tern poking around in her bushes. With a sigh, she let it dig through the leaves and went to go fetch her supply list and some coin.

When she returned, the bird had mostly managed to uproot the bush. Aria wondered how much money she'd spent fixing the damn thing every time after the bird made its monthly visit. It had a fondness for blueberries, but that bush didn't grow anything but leaves.

"What have you brought for me this time, Twinny?" Aria asked as she gripped the bird by the beak and led it away from the bush. It cawed at her in disappointment, but quickly got down to business by digging in its giant rucksack and dumping several heavy books and a few paper-bound packages at her feet. Then she started digging in its other rucksack and deposited a pouch full of berries into her awaiting hand. "Good girl. You'll get a lot of feed for this."

Twinny chirruped excitedly at the mention of food, and started nudging her with its beak. "Give me a moment, I need to put these up." She motioned towards the books that laid on the ground, and Twinny whined petulantly.

Aria gave a long-suffering sigh. The Fioran Tern was much more childish and easily distracted by food than anything her size ought to be. She stood nearly nine feet tall at its full height, and it's wingspan probably stretched to thirty feet or more. Realizing she was going to have to wait for its meal, the massive bird decided to roll in the dirt and cover its pretty white feathers in dust. Aria just barely avoided being hit in the face by a wing, ducking into the house with her arms full of books.

Aria tried her best not to feel irritated by the messenger bird. The bird itself was innocent, but it was from home. Every time Twinny came, she felt true fear in her heart, because there was a chance that Aqua Atlus would call her back. It wasn't likely, considering how much of a monetary chore it would be, but it was possible. Aria dug through the books until she found her monthly letter tucked inside a cover. With practiced ease, she opened the envelope with her index finger, and her eyes roamed the papers inside several times before she breathed a sigh of relief.

They weren't calling her back yet.

Aria put the letter back where she found it. She climbed the stairs and grabbed the thick manilla folder full of her research and her reports to send home. She sealed it after giving it a quick read, snagged her supply list off her bookshelf, and returned outside.

She wished she had waited a bit longer to do so.

Twinny, who was finished rolling in the dirt and was now covered head-to-talon with a fine layer of dust, was now trying to see if she was taller than Arlong. She just barely wasn't, as Twinny had just now realized, and the bird decided it was going to make up for the fact by displaying its impressive wingspan. The rest of the fishmen behind Arlong looked as if they were going to go into flight-or-fight mode, and Aria knew they wouldn't choose flight against a bird.

"Twinny, stop that!" Aria snapped, and the bird hesitated and swiveled its neck to look back at her.

"Chrrr?"

Arlong, who had previously had a completely dumbfounded expression on his face, turned to her with a face that could only be read as flabbergasted. "Aria, what the _fuck_ is this?" He asked, motioning towards the bird.

Yep. Today was going to be difficult, alright. Aria had hoped she wouldn't need to explain Twinny or her deliveries for another few months, but once again, life had caught her off guard. Now she was going to have to smooth things over with Arlong about the bird, deal with the supplies they were lugging behind them, and somehow keep Twinny out of trouble.

"It's a delivery bird." Aria replied simply. "Twinny, down." The bird folded its wings in and sat down so that Aria could put her list and payment into its outgoing rucksack. Aria could feel Arlong's eyes on her, and Kuroobi's, too. The other men just seemed mystified by the giant fucking bird. Aria couldn't blame them.

"I'd wondered what she needed with so much feed, nyuu." Hachi murmured.

Twinny heard 'feed' and got excited, standing up. Aria let her devil fruit save her from being hit in the face with a wing, but the others had to deal with a face full of bird that was suddenly interested in Hachi.

"Twinny, please. You know they don't have any food for you." Aria chided. She gripped one of the bagstraps and tugged the excited bird towards her animal pens. After setting down enough seed to feed a normal chicken for a month, she let Twinny loose and returned to see the fishmen trying to recover from Hachi's loose mouth.

"Sorry about Twinny. She gets a bit excitable when it comes to food."

"We noticed." Chew muttered.

"I wasn't aware you used a delivery bird." Kuroobi said, crossing his arms and raising a brow at Aria.

"How else would I receive letters from home?" Aria replied, putting her hands on her hips. "Twinny delivers messages to all of the Abroaders and also picks up harder to get supplies. So long as I don't mind waiting a few months to get them."

"So that's where your funding goes, Aria-chan?" Arlong asked, eyeing her.

Aria nodded. "It's more expensive than I'd like. But Fioran Terns are hard to maintain, considering their size."

Arlong grimaced, but dropped the subject. He motioned towards the supplies that they had brought, and Aria recognized some of them from her shopping trip in Cocoyashi and some of them as things she had asked Arlong to get. "We're dropping these off. Where do you want them?"

"The lab. Let me go unlock it." She propped open the front door as she went inside, and briefly she wondered if it would all fit through the doorframe. She grimaced at the thought of scuffed walls, but decided that sacrifices had to be made in the name of science.

When she passed back through the kitchen, she saw Chew browsing through her bookshelves with a bored expression. Hachi was snooping through her fridge, grabbing some vegetables he intended to eat. Though it also looked like he had brought some fish for her, which was a delightful surprise. As she walked outside, she spotted Kuroobi and Kakuzu in her greenhouse, doing who knew what to her plants. Gajeel and Dresden had poked their heads inside the generator shed. Only Arlong remained waiting for her, although he didn't look too happy about it.

"I see they all got distracted."

"I told them to go look for other surprises you might be hiding."

Aria's brows furrowed. "You could have just asked."

"Could have. Didn't feel like it." Arlong replied. "I should be more than enough to get all this shit into your lab."

"Not feeling too team spirited today, huh?" Aria asked, putting a hand on her hip. Arlong gave her a weak glare, before ignoring her in favor of hauling the supplies inside. Aria sighed. She had really wanted Twinny to remain a secret for a bit longer so that she wouldn't have to deal with any of Arlong's suspicions. He hadn't asked her about her reluctance to get a bounty yet, nor had he pestered her about her homeland since she seduced him, and he hadn't poked and prodded her for any other miscellaneous information he might want. Aria had welcomed his lack of interrogations, with Mata Nui still heavy in her mind.

Not knowing what to do with herself now that her daily routine had been so thoroughly derailed, Aria decided she ought to snoop back. She decided to start with Kuroobi and Kakuzu.

Aria popped into the greenhouse and watched in mild amusement as Kakuzu cradled a leaf in his tentacles and exclaimed, "it's so _green_! What a contrast to the aloe I've been trying to grow!"

"Erm. That's because your aloe is dead, Kakuzu-san." Kuroobi replied. Kakuzu, who seemed to be in a disgustingly good mood, paid him no mind at all.

"Nonsense, Kuroobi. I'm a doctor, it's my job to keep everything alive!" Aria wondered if Kakuzu had perhaps had too much coffee. He seemed so much more overzealous today than he had yesterday when he'd come to change her bandages.

"I'm afraid no amount of your medical skills will save plants from your black thumb." Kuroobi said. Aria could see his growing exasperation, and decided to intervene.

"You've been trying to grow aloe?" Aria asked, leaning over to inspect the tomato leaves that Kakuzu was still fawning over.

"Yes!" Kakuzu nodded eagerly. He stood and started digging through his bag. "I even brought it with me, to get some tips from you!"

"I'm surprised you want to grow your own medicinal herbs. Have you been gardening long?"

"He's been gardening ever since we hit sunlight," Kuroobi answered dryly, "though he hasn't gotten any more skilled at it."

Aria winced. Kuroobi didn't seem like the type to shit-talk without proof, but she had faith in Kakuzu.

Or she did until he pulled out a mysterious plant that was so decrepit that Aria couldn't identify it.

Kakuzu held it out proudly for her to examine, a wide smile on his face. "Look at my beautiful aloe plant!"

Aria shared a look with Kuroobi. A mutual grimace. A mutual need to preserve Kakuzu's feelings, while also informing him that his beloved plant had probably died quite a long time ago.

"It's...so white. Have you been keeping it in sunlight?" Aria asked, timidly. Usually a lack of color would mean its chlorophyll wasn't being used properly, but Aria had never seen any plant lose all of its pigment this badly before.

"Yes, I keep it in direct sunlight at all times! I also water it every day, three times a day."

"O-oh, maybe you should try giving it a break, then. Too much sunlight and water can be bad for plants." Aria suggested. Aloe was a hardy plant, but even it was susceptible to overwatering and sunburn. Kakuzu looked put-off by that suggestion, but Kuroobi took control of the situation.

"Actually, Kakuzu-san and I were wondering if you could take care of these sort of things for us."

Aria was completely caught off guard. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, Kakuzu could use some medicinal herbs, of course." Kakuzu nodded eagerly when Aria looked to him. "I also intend to make some ointments and salves to help with all of the muscle strain from training."

"So you want me to grow your herbs, then?" Aria was a bit annoyed at the thought of spending more time gardening than researching, building, or training. But maybe this was a way to foster some trust between the crew. Growing herbs for their doctor and one of the officers could only be taken well. And it wasn't like she would need to spend too much more time gardening, if it was just things like aloe, right?

"I'd appreciate it so much, Aria-san." Kakuzu beamed at her. Aria found her willpower to say no rapidly declining as he literally lit up with glee.

"Arlong has already given his approval, if that's a concern." Kuroobi added. "Hachi said he would also be willing to help out."

"I suppose I can." Aria felt awed as she realized this was probably the first time Kuroobi hadn't scowled at her. He actually looked pleased, a small smile gracing his face.

"Thanks. We've both already tried growing some on our own, but neither of us are skilled at surface level gardening." Kuroobi looked almost sheepish as he admitted his flaw.

"I'm great at gardening sea plants, though." Kakuzu bragged. Kuroobi rolled his eyes.

"No you're not." Kuroobi muttered, smacking Kakuzu on the shoulder. Kuroobi ignored the pitiful look Kakuzu gave as he rubbed his shoulder. "Honestly, I'm rather impressed you manage all of these different varieties so well. I only have a few, and their maintenance gets a bit overwhelming."

Aria's ego swelled at the praise. Kuroobi was definitely not one to give out compliments to the undeserving. "It was pretty hard at first, but I've gotten a good routine down. Now I don't even really have to think about it." She tried her best not to come off as haughty, but she had a feeling she failed, considering she couldn't wipe the satisfied smirk off her face.

"You'll have to tell us about your gardening mishaps sometime, Aria." Kakuzu said. "And I can tell you about all the times Kuroobi's messed himself up from over-training."

"I think not." Kuroobi grunted, crossing his arms. His expression was all stony now, and Aria couldn't help but snicker, even if Kuroobi glowered at her. These two liked to mess with each other, it seemed, and it was entertaining to watch.

"Sure, we can swap stories later." Aria agreed, an impish smirk on her face. "I ought to go make sure Hachi isn't eating all of my food, though."

"Probably wise." Kuroobi nodded sagely. Hachi had only cleared out her fridge a few times, but it was enough to be wary of his appetite. Aria tried to keep decoy food on hand so that she didn't need to worry as much, but she hadn't expected everyone to show up today. And despite her misanthropy, she at least tried to be a reasonable host. Perhaps she should make some tea?

"I'll change your bandages later, before we leave. I brought some salves to help your wounds heal, too."

"That...wasn't made with your aloe plant, right?" Aria tried to hide her concern, but judging by the look Kuroobi gave her, it hadn't worked as well as she'd hoped.

"Nah, I had Hachi pick me up some aloe from town."

"Oh thank goodness." Aria sighed in relief. At Kakuzu's look, Aria tried to explain, "I wouldn't want to ruin your pretty plant." She laughed nervously, and waved goodbye. "Anyway I really ought to go inside now, please be careful with my crops, okay?"

Aria had never been more eager to run away from Kakuzu. Normally he was interesting to talk to, but his ego was so weird when it came to gardening. It caught her completely off guard. She sighed once more, and managed to regain her composure. Now that she was in the safety of her house, she was confronted with Chew still perusing through her shelves. He stood slouched, his hands deep in his pockets and his head tilted as he read the book titles.

"If you want to borrow a book, you can. Just ask first."

Chew glanced at her for barely even a second before continuing. "Haven't caught anything interesting yet, but thanks for the offer, chuu."

"Okay. If you steal a book, though, I'm gonna be pissed off." Aria warned, walking past him and into the kitchen. Hachi was nowhere to be found, and Aria hummed in concern. She hadn't seen him on the porch, and he didn't like going into her room when she was gone. Aria checked the fridge, expecting the worst, but was relieved when only two cartons of salad were gone. She put some water in a kettle, and turned on the stovetop, though she wasn't even sure any of them would want her preferred blend.

She walked through her makeshift library and into the lab, and was surprised to not only find Arlong and Hachi sitting around her prototype, but Gajeel and Dresden digging through her tools.

They all noticed her at once, and Aria hated the way it made her feel like she was giving a presentation to the Scholarly Research Grant Foundation.

"Oi, Aria-san, your tools are really beat up!" Gajeel whined.

"Yeah, yeah, you need to let us fix these for you." Dresden agreed. "They won't last much longer, otherwise."

"Go for it." Aria allowed.

"Great! Originally we were just gonna give you some more lessons today, but honestly, I'd rather just repair your shit." Gajeel said.

"Do both." Arlong said, prodding Aria's machine with a frown. "Hopefully make this less ugly."

"Sorry, bossman, but there's no hope." Dresden shrugged his shoulders and had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. "Your face is stuck like that forever."

Arlong glowered at him while Hachi cackled. Arlong swiped at Hachi and smacked him on the arm. "You set yourself up for that one, nyuu!"

"It's not _that_ ugly…" Aria muttered under her breath.

"You're a rude little shit, Aria." Arlong grumbled, crossing his arms.

"I was talking about my prototype." Aria corrected, though her voice was dry.

"Oh, so you like his face, then?" Dresden's shit-eating grin somehow managed to grow wider.

"No comment." Aria replied, waving her hand dismissively. Arlong grit his teeth. "What's so bad about it, anyway?"

"His face?"

"No, the prototype, dumbass."

"Well, it's ugly, for one."

" _Fuck off_. What's ugly about it?" Aria sneered.

"It's a box with a speaker grate on it, nyuu."

"Well, yeah. What would _you_ make it look like?" Aria prefered simple designs. Extra flourishes were nice, but time consuming. Plus, you weren't suppose to make a prototype look _nice_ when it's main function was to be a weapon of moderate destruction.

"It needs, like, some flames on the side."

" _No_." Arlong shot down that design aesthetic with as much harshness as he could muster. "You should at least make it intimidating."

"Fire is intimidating!"

"In a way that doesn't involve flame decals." Arlong grit out.

Aria tilted her head in consideration. "Should I put your face on it, then?" She feigned an innocent look, but couldn't contain her cackles as Arlong gave her a withering glare.

"Oh, eat a dick, all of you."

"Maybe later." Dresden grinned. Dresden was lucky he was out of smacking-range. However, that didn't mean he was out of tossing range, and Arlong made use of Aria's scattered parts and chucked one at Dresden. "Ow, fuck!"

"Don't toss my materials!" Aria whined.

"What's it matter?" Arlong grumbled. "You're just going to make it ugly, anyway. And if I hear _one more_ face joke I'm kicking all of you out of the crew."

"Nyuu, face it, you guys, you've taken it all a bit too far." Everyone slowly turned their eyes on Hachi, who in his eternal innocence did not realize he had dug his own grave. "What?"

Arlong covered his eyes with his hand and gave a long-suffering sigh. "Hachi, go home."

"Sure, what for?"

"You really piss me off sometimes."

Hachi deflated considerably. "I'm sorry, Arlong-san!"

Everyone felt really bad to watch Hachi sulk out of the room.

"Make it less ugly. For Hachi's sake." Gajeel said, mournfully. Aria nodded glumly. Dresden sighed in sadness. Arlong glowered at all of them.

"Oh! New bounties!" Hachi's suddenly excited voice carried in from the dining room. Gajeel and Dresden perked up, and looked at each other in excitement.

"Maybe we'll get our own posters?" Dresden asked, before bolting out of the room. Gajeel followed right behind him.

"God, I hope not…" Aria muttered under her breath.

"Oh? And why's that?" Arlong asked, smiling humorlessly. "I thought you were interested in recognition for your skills."

Well, he wasn't wrong. Aria enjoyed having praise heaped upon her. But that was when the praise was for her skill and hard work, not for murder. Aria frowned, and pushed her hair behind her ear. "If I get a bounty, it'll be because I'm such a genius that the government thinks I'll outshine their best and brightest. Not because of a little piracy."

Arlong lit up, despite her haughty answer. "Shahaha, well, that's a damn good response." He bent down to get up in her face. "But you don't fool me. So be honest. Why don't you want a bounty?"

Aria pursed her lips. She hoped to avoid this conversation. It wasn't something she could just answer simply. Yet she had to give enough of a true answer to get him off her back. "I'm being monitored, as are all the other Abroaders. Any sign of trouble will get me in hot water."

Arlong considered her answer. "Is that what was up with the giant bird?"

Aria nodded. "Yes, we give reports monthly, and we receive news from home." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Though, you've already seen some of those letters, haven't you?"

Arlong gave her a toothy grin. "You didn't give me any other choice but to pry." His expression turned serious. "Though your reports…"

"I haven't mentioned becoming a pirate, nor anything about your goals." And Aria hadn't. Lying by omission was something she was very good at, when her homeland was involved. "I mentioned that you had taken up base on Conomi, but that's it."

Arlong stood up straight and nodded. "Good. Keep it that way. I'd rather you not attract attention from the Grand Line."

Aria's lips formed a smug smirk. She enjoyed the chance to turn the tables on Arlong. "Oh? And why's that? You seemed awfully interested in keeping your own activities hidden."

Arlong scowled, and Aria could see the wheels turning in his head. "I'd rather not draw attention from Marine HQ."

Aria raised her brows in disbelief. "You and I both know they wouldn't lift a finger for a backwater sea like this one."

"Most won't." Arlong agreed. "There's one person who will." Aria would have been amused by his tight-lipped answer, if the cryptic response didn't drive her crazy.

Aria tapped her lip thoughtfully. Who would it be? Garp the Hero, who was frequently spotted patrolling the northern seas? Or someone else? She had to admit, she didn't know enough about her captain yet to know of any of his enemies.

"I'm guessing you managed to piss someone off, and now they're keeping a close eye on you?"

Arlong scoffed. "I'm a fishman. They'll be keeping a closer eye on me than any other pirate in this sea." Aria could see that. He made a stark contrast compared to the rest of the pirates, just in appearance alone. But he had mentioned a specific person might give them trouble, even though he was trying to brush that off now. She stored that information away for later.

"Well, I suppose we ought to see if you'll be getting more attention after Mata Nui." Arlong looked relieved at her dropping the subject, and he trailed behind her quietly.

The kettle went off as they walked through the kitchen, and Aria prepared several cups of tea for everyone before joining the others. She handed them out, not even bothering to reply to their thanks. Kuroobi was the only one missing, and Aria wondered where he had disappeared to as she took a cautious sip of her own tea.

The men all stood around the dining room table, gleefully cheering at the bounty posters laid across it. One stood out from the rest, reading 'Wanted Dead or Alive: _Arlong the Saw_ for 8,000,000 berries.' The picture made the captain look downright terrifying, with the shadows emphasizing his harsh facial structure, and no hat to soften his jagged hairline.

Aria blinked at the low bounty. Surely that must be a mistake…? She'd seen mountain bandits with a bounty that size. Then she remembered the conversation she'd just had. Nezumi _had_ mentioned something about a reduced bounty, if she recalled correctly.

Still, Arlong looked so _pleased_ at the bounty, his entire frame barely able to contain his glee. It seemed so alien to her. Who would _want_ a bounty?

"You finally managed to get one, after all these years, chuu." Chew breathed, almost reverent in his joy.

"It won't be long until we're recognized as terrors on the sea, nyuu!" Hachi laughed.

"Oh man, this is great! Shame it's so low, though." Dresden said.

"It's suppose to be low for now!" Gajeel reminded.

"Yeah, but still…"

"We should have a party to celebrate, chuu!"

"Damn right!" Gajeel said.

"Aria-san, you wanna come party?" Kakuzu asked.

"I'm afraid I'll pass for today. I'm behind." Aria declined.

"Next time, then!"

"Sure." Aria agreed with a small smile.

"Are you _really_ sure you want to play around with her?" Kuroobi stepped into the dining room, holding several envelopes in his hand. He looked smug as he fanned them out for all to see, and Aria wanted to rip his face off. How dare he sneak around in her room and take her things? Her blood surged in anger, and she clenched her fists. "These were hidden away upstairs, Arlong-san."

Arlong glanced between Kuroobi and Aria. It took a great deal of effort for him to not sigh. Kuroobi's tendency to snoop and hold people at an arm's length was useful for enemies, but not so much for allies. Especially not one as easily riled as Aria. The former hermit looked as upset as she always did when Arlong took her things, and he knew he was going to need to smooth this over with her before they left.

"I've already seen those. Aria-chan showed them to me a while back." Arlong lied smoothly. Aria's brows furrowed deeper as a look of surprise flitted across her face, only to be replaced by a haughty sneer.

Kuroobi hesitated for a moment. "Arlong-san, it's obvious she's been in contact with other people. If she's been talking to the marines…"

"What reason would I do that for?" Aria asked, and put her hand on her hip. "Those are letters from my people."

"So you say." Kuroobi said evenly. "She could easily be trying to report our movements, and I don't like that this _hermit_ is socializing."

Arlong shoved his hands in his pockets and gave Kuroobi a flat look. "Kuroobi-nii, do you doubt me? I already said I went through them."

Kuroobi grimaced, and held up a hand to placate him. "No, I don't. I apologize." His eyes flitted over to Aria. "I also apologize for doubting you. You can't deny that our earlier encounter was suspicious, though."

Aria didn't intend to forgive him or forget this. She nodded all the same. "I won't deny that. Twinny's deliveries had completely slipped my mind, considering all the excitement." Her eyes narrowed, and she fixed Kuroobi with her most malicious smile. "However, if you _ever_ take any of my belongings again, I won't hesitate to remind you that I don't take kindly to thieves."

"I'll keep that in mind, Aria-san." Kuroobi said, and tossed the letters on the table. He met her with his own mirthless smile.

Arlong grimaced at the tension in the room.

"Ah, about taking your stuff…" Chew said slowly, and all eyes turned on him slowly. "There was a few books that I saw that looked neat, chuu. "

Aria blinked owlishly. "I already said you could borrow some, just ask."

"Cool."

All the tension dissolved after that, and they broke off into little groups again. Arlong dragged Kuroobi into the lab with him, while Gajeel and Dresden decided to explore the island with Kakuzu and Hachi. Aria and Chew discussed which books he was going to borrow.

Aria was making a small pile of novels, and she couldn't help but notice that a lot of the books were mystery novels. Some of them were pretty famous stories, but apparently Chew had never read them. Human novels must be hard to come by on Fishman Island, Aria mused.

"I'm surprised you like mysteries. That genre isn't very popular now that everyone hopes to be the King of the Pirates." Aria said when Chew placed the tenth book into the pile.

Chew grinned. "Arlong wants to be emperor, which is close enough."

Aria hummed. "True."

"Why did you agree to be a pirate, anyway? You've clearly got the money to do otherwise, chuu."

Aria's lips pursed. This question again? It was getting a bit tiring to answer it every time. "I like my money as much as Arlong does, and I'd rather not buy my survival."

Chew motioned towards the bookcases with his thumb. "Well, I can see where it all goes. But it seems like it would be a lot easier for you? You don't like fighting, and you don't like killing."

Aria crossed her arms. "Arlong said I shouldn't be forced to do...that...again. Besides, it's my own fault. I was the one who offered to fight for him." She shrugged, indifferent. "I mean, it's a pain in the ass, but I signed up for it."

Chew scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, kinda? But I'm sure he'd rather take your money. You're hard to get along with, chuu, and Arlong likes his crewmates to be as close as family."

Aria gave Chew a flat look. "I get a monthly stipend from my homeland, sure. But it's based on how much research I turn in every month, and how many papers I've written on said research. If something goes wrong, like...I get very hurt, or sick, or something, my funds will decrease by a lot."

Chew's face lit up in realization. "Oh, so you're not guaranteed to make enough every month, chuu. That makes a lot more sense than you just not wanting to give it all up." Chew hummed to himself as he considered what he just learned. "So you just send them back your research and stuff? You're not a spy?"

Aria was so caught off guard by that question that she laughed. "Most certainly not. I don't leave my island more than four times a year, probably. I'd be the worst spy in history."

"But they brought _you_ bounties. Fresh ones, chuu."

Aria nodded. "Aqua Atlus would be even more difficult to leave if a researcher they spent so much time and money on wound up killed by pirates. The bounties are to keep us informed of who to look out for. Local threats."

Chew gave a mirthless grin. "Very unfortunate if you wound up killed by Arlong, then? What would happen if you _were_ , chuu?"

Aria grimaced. Chew was as interested in ferreting information out of her as Kuroobi and Arlong were. It seemed the only officer _not_ interested in that task was Hachi. Reluctantly, she answered. "If I died, it would take them a while to notice, since Twinny only comes once a month. But as a result…" Aria tapped her lip thoughtfully, pondering how to answer that. "Initially, another Abroader would come take all of my research, dismantle my lab, and it would be like I never existed here at all."

Chew's brows furrowed. "Okay. You said 'initially.' What happens _next_?"

It was Aria's turn to smile mirthlessly. "They come for who killed me. To make sure none of my research got stolen." The implication was clear enough, she hoped.

Chew didn't like the sound of that, judging by the way he tensed. "Ah...Good thing you joined us then, chuu."

"Very fortunate for you." Aria agreed. She spied a book Chew might like, and added it to the pile of mystery novels. "I hope you're done investigating me?"

Chew nodded mutely, his attention caught on what she just added to the pile. "Is that the next part of the In The Blood series?"

"Mhm, it came out a few months ago."

"I didn't even know they made a part six, chuu."

"Well I'll let you borrow it. This seems like a good pile to get you started with."

Chew nodded, and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Thanks. It's been a long while since I've had new reading material. You're not as awful as you first seemed."

Aria scoffed, though her lip quirked in amusement. "I suppose I can say the same about you."

* * *

After what felt like forever, Arlong and the others headed back to the mainland. Aria felt completely exhausted from all the social interaction, and she was grateful she would only have to deal with Hachi tomorrow. Then the next day it would be time for her progress check.

Aria gave a long sigh. She was probably going to need to work through the night to make everything work out alright. They had completely derailed her day, and it had taken so many hours. Between Kakuzu changing her bandages and inspecting her healing wounds, Dresden and Gajeel fixing her tools and teaching her better techniques to use them, and everyone snooping through her house, her day had been jam-packed.

She was grateful, though. It really felt like the more prickly members of the crew were warming up to her. Chew and Kuroobi still didn't trust her, and they probably wouldn't for a few more months, but they were at least willing to rely on her.

It had been a long time since someone cared to do that.

* * *

Kuroobi was finishing up a set of kata when he heard the dojo's door creak. With an internal huff, he staunchly ignored them to continue his forms until they were finished.

Or he had intended to. A firm grasp on his shoulder broke his concentration, and Kuroobi was surprised to see Arlong standing there. He had expected one of his students, wanting a late-night training session or someone needing advice. Instead, it was his childhood friend, eyes distraught and mouth forming a thin frown. His normally well-kept hair jutted out with a serious case of bed head, and his clothes were sloppily tossed on. Arlong hadn't even bothered to put on any jewelry, which was a sign of his mental state.

Arlong looked like hell.

It wasn't the first time he'd woken up with nightmares since gaining his freedom, but this was the first time he'd actually approached Kuroobi about it. As far as he knew, Arlong hadn't approached Hachi or Chew, either.

Kuroobi took this as a sign of progress.

"Arlong-san. Are you alright?"

Arlong scowled and grunted. Kuroobi had enough practice gauging Arlong's many scowls to know this one meant "do I _look_ okay?" and turned to face him fully.

"Let's go get some tea, then."

Arlong nodded, and followed after Kuroobi wordlessly.

The kitchen was mercifully empty, and Kuroobi and Arlong sat in companionable silence as the kettle brewed. Arlong rested his head against Kuroobi's shoulder, his eyes closed. Kuroobi idly scratched Arlong's head like he was a cat instead of a nine-foot tall shark, musing about the last time Arlong had something so earth-shattering happen.

Brother Tai's death had happened so quickly, and Arlong's rashness had landed him in Impel Down so quickly that there hadn't been any time for this before. Then there was Arlong's fracturing fight with Jinbe, and they had split up the Sun Pirates into so many divisive groups. Arlong set his sight on the East Blue, and before Kuroobi knew it, eight months had passed.

Arlong had been healing slowly. He'd been more rash and aggressive since Impel Down, lashing out at any ships that dared get too close. He'd been more angry that he'd ever been, snapping and making snide comments. But...there was a quietness, too. Like he didn't want to talk about his pain, like he had been prone to as a kid. He became a lot more closed off, and it had worried Chew, Hachi, and Kuroobi.

They didn't know what to do. They didn't want to press Arlong about it, not when he was so irritable. So they just gave him space, and followed his whims as best they could.

Nami had been a bit much.

Aria was pushing it, and Kuroobi knew he had to start putting down his foot.

They were hurting, too. Adding more traitorous humans to the mix was like rubbing salt in the wound.

The tea kettle whistled, startling them both, and Arlong sheepishly sat up and rubbed his eyes while Kuroobi poured them cups. Arlong nodded gratefully as he took his, and stared into it like it would save his soul as long as he didn't look away.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Nah."

Kuroobi hummed in disapproval. Losing Arlong to his thoughts wouldn't be productive. Yet he still didn't want to push him. It was enough that they were sitting together, drinking tea in silence.

Perhaps all Arlong wanted was a quiet moment, Kuroobi mused. They had been so busy ever since they came to the East. The last two months felt like a whirlwind, and even though the memories were fresh they had already started to blur.

Arlong finished his tea with a sigh. He set his cup down on the floor, and pinched the bridge of his nose like he was prone to when he was stressed. Then he slumped into Kuroobi, his weight pressing against his side.

"Hey, Kuroobi-nii."

"Hmm?"

"What did you do while I was gone?"

Kuroobi tilted his head, wondering where that question had come from. "Mostly, we just explored. We fought a lot of marines. A lot of other pirates."

"Was it fun?"

Kuroobi considered it. It had been enjoyable, but there was a vacuum. Fisher Tiger had left an impact on everyone. Arlong was like his rash younger brother. Losing one right after the other had been almost unbearable in the beginning. Kuroobi spent a lot of time fighting, he recalled. Anything he could find. Land beasts, Sea Kings...Kuroobi fought Jinbe a lot, too. Kuroobi was dedicated to improving his Fishman Karate, and that had been the only thing that had made things worth doing for the first few months. But he slowly started to accept things, even though Kuroobi doubted he could ever trust even a human child ever again.

"I wish you had been there." Kuroobi admitted. "It would've been a lot more fun, then."

Arlong nodded. "Me, too."

Arlong closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Kuroobi set down his mug, and closed his eyes, too. It was nice, feeling Arlong's weight against his side, and he wished Hachi and Chew were there, so they could form a pile of limbs like they had when they were children. Kuroobi scritched at Arlong's skull, idly wishing life was still as simple as when they were kids.

He was grateful Arlong was back. But he wished it was under better circumstances. That whatever happened while he was gone hadn't happened.

It had been a long, long time since Kuroobi had needed to comfort Arlong like this. Not since they were teenagers, after Jiro left, and Arlong was left without any resemblance of a father figure in his life.

Arlong had always been particularly bitter than his father had abandoned him to the Fishman District, and that loathing had only increased when the man showed back up ten years later, a mermaid in hand, and abandoned his baby sister, too.

Arlong was far too young to deal with raising a kid at fifteen, and the thievery he'd used to sustain himself wasn't going to keep the both of them alive. So Arlong had found a job at a shitty tavern near the immigration gates. Arlong _hated_ it, his pride bruising every time he had to serve a human customer. But they were constantly understaffed, to the point where Chew and Kuroobi had gotten sick of Arlong's bitching and applied to work there, too. After that, Arlong was banished to the kitchen for food prep, and he finally seemed to be doing alright.

Then, out of nowhere, Jiro showed up. He was in his forties, but his leathery face made him look much older. His hands were scarred and calloused, and he had a nick on his cheek that he bragged came from a brawl with a Vice-Admiral. He was a damn good bartender and a great storyteller, and always entertained customers so well that they always left a hefty tip. His stories seemed too fantastic to be true, at times, but he spoke with such conviction that it left people breathless. It got even worse around women, and Arlong was constantly having to tell Jiro to stop trying to get laid and get back to work.

Despite Arlong's annoyance with the older man, he had inspired a great deal of Arlong's interest in piracy and encouraged his interest in the surface world. Jiro hadn't been too fond of Arlong's budding hatred of humans, but Jiro had actually explored humanity before, and so wasn't as bothered by the ignorant humans that sneered or fetishized them.

As the months went by, Arlong slowly grew more and more interested in the idea of pirates, about sailing on the surface, about finding gold and riches. He would listen to Jiro's stories as they closed up shop with a hopeful grin on his face, and Arlong could finally see why Tai-nii had gone off and become an explorer. Jiro also gave the three of them advice and would frequently get them out of sticky situations when Jinbe or Tiger weren't around. Jiro always had some weird remedy or solution for problems, like using salt to get out dried blood from clothes, and since no one had ever been around to teach the trio those sort of things, it had seemed like Jiro had infinite wisdom at times.

But all things had to come to an end, and Jiro found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't resist the call of the surface world. One day, he and the rest of his crew just left without a word, and the tavern suddenly became entirely unbearable.

" _What a shitty old man!" Arlong raged, kicking at some supplies so hard that they fell with a loud crash. Kuroobi winced, but didn't want to reprimand his friend when he already had angry tears in his eyes. "Useless lecher! Didn't even bother to say goodbye! What a piece of shit!"_

" _I'm sure he meant to." Kuroobi placated, pulling Arlong away from anything else he could damage._

 _Arlong's head bowed, and he pulled his hat over his face. "Shut up! He knew about my shitty old man, and he still had the nerve to fucking walk out like that!"_

 _Kuroobi sighed, and pulled Arlong into a hug. "I don't think he knew how much we relied on him, Arlong. But it'll be alright, because at least you have everyone else."_

 _Arlong sniveled into Kuroobi's shoulder and returned the hug. Kuroobi wasn't particularly surprised, as Arlong had always enjoyed tactile comforts, but Arlong was too prideful to cry. Especially now that he had to be a role model for Shyarly. "Hachi's gone too, though."_

" _He'll show up eventually. He probably just got himself into a stupid situation like he always does."_

" _I don't want anyone else to leave me. Not you, Chew, brother Tai, Shyarly...Hell, not even Jinbe."_

 _Kuroobi snorted. Jinbe always seemed so fed up with Arlong now that he was part of the military, and they were butting heads more often than not now. "We won't. We're nakama, after all."_

" _Yeah, we're nakama…"_

Arlong wasn't crying now, but the way he leaned against Kuroobi reminded him of all the times he had to comfort his childhood friend.

Kuroobi just hoped Arlong didn't go on another bender.

The months that followed Jiro's departure had been rough on everyone, but Arlong had went off the deep-end. It didn't help that they were understaffed again. Several of the other workers were also part of Jiro's pirate crew, and they had probably been the only reason Jiro's stories were considered credible. Arlong was having to work double the shifts, and had to pick up a lot of Jiro's bartending. As he experimented with the various alcohols, he quickly started to consume more than he ever had.

Shyarly had started to go to the school in the Noah, where she was going to be crammed in with all the other orphans to get the meager education everyone else in the Fishman District had. Arlong didn't want Shyarly to have to deal with that, and took on even more hours so that he could try an afford to send her to a school that would teach her more than just how to read, write, and do arithmetic.

When combined with rent, food, and all the other little things that cost money in life, Arlong started to feel over-stressed. All the countless shifts piled up, and it wasn't long before he was making stupid decisions. Kuroobi didn't know how many times he'd had to stop Arlong from hooking up with some customer, drunk off his ass.

Kuroobi didn't think he wanted to go through that again.

You can only see your childhood friend's dick so many times before you want to castrate them.

At least Arlong had sworn off humans for life.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

"Most of the bounty hunters seem pretty weak, chu." Chew noted happily, flipping through the pages as they walked together. "The only real people we have to look out for right now is this trio of kids up north who take down entire pirate crews for fun. But they're _kids_ , and they haven't ever left their island yet."

"The East Blue really is the weakest of the Four Seas, shahaha." Arlong had crumpled so many marines that it was no wonder bounty hunters were popular here, even if they were no stronger.

* * *

AN: This chapter was a struggle. I've been working on it for the last few weeks, and it didn't really want to come out right. I really adore the ending though. Kuroobi has no idea.

I imagine that all the officers had a pretty rough past, being orphans in the Fishman District, and Arlong especially had it bad. They each had their own troubles to deal with, though. I feel like the only one whose backstory I haven't hinted at so far is Kuroobi's, but he doesn't dwell on his childhood often.

I've been really on the ball lately, and I've written nearly 16k words this week alone. I can't wait until I can post everything I've been writing! There's some fluff, some bickering, some action...As long as I keep this up, NaNoWriMo will be a breeze, lol.


	17. Hold on to Your Heart

**Chapter 17:** Hold on to Your Heart

* * *

It had been a long time since Aria had thought about her childhood. Mostly, she thought about work and her plans for the future. She hadn't the time to reminisce. Slowly, now, they came unbidden. Her time with the pirates had let lots of memories resurface. Aria either dreamed of Mata Nui or her childhood, in random snatches of recognition. That morning, she recalled a particularly defining moment of her childhood.

 _Aria sang idly as she worked on her proofs. She had a lot to get done before her classes started, but she was in a good mood, and eager to work. The weather that day only encouraged her. It was a warm morning, and the sun was actually visible in the sky, peaking through the heavy snowclouds that promised a storm that night._

 _The tavern's bell rang, and one of the Deepsea pirates, Jiro, stepped inside. He shook off his clothes, letting snow fall into the tavern's entryway, and stomped his boots to rid them of muck. He took them off and set them on the guest rack to dry, before sliding into some slippers. These were common customs in Aqua Atlus, but Jiro fumbled through most of them, despite the fact he had stayed on this island for so long. It seemed the only custom he really felt comfortable with was taking off his shoes as a guest._

 _Still, he persisted. Now that he was a patron, the waitress on duty collected him and led him to a table near Aria's. The waitress, Lucy, poured him a glass of alcohol to warm his body, and left him with a menu to browse over, even though Jiro was a frequent enough customer that she knew his order by heart._

 _Aria continued working, completely oblivious to the pirate who was grinning fondly at her._

 _"Wow, you sing so nicely now!"_

 _Aria's brows furrowed in annoyance, and she looked up from her papers to glower at Jiro. "What are you talking about? I always sang nicely."_

 _"Yeah, but now you sound like a siren, bahaha! Shame you're not fit for battle, otherwise we could use you to lure men to their deaths!" Jiro was always teasing her, but this time he mentioned something interesting._

 _Aria blinked. A siren? She felt like she'd heard that word from one of the fishmen sailors. Although it had been in a negative context then..."What are sirens, Jii?"_

 _The old fishman gave her a surprised look and then laughed. "Ohh, I always forget how naive you Aqua Atlus women are."_

 _"Are you making fun of me?" Aria asked tersely._

 _The old man didn't take offense to her annoyance, however. "No, it's a good thing. " He said, waving his hand at her nonchalantly. "Human men like to call mermaids sirens! They lure pirates and marines and even regular old sailors to the ocean with their captivating songs and good looks."_

 _"Oh. Is that a good thing?"_

 _"Depends on your point of view." Jii replied, with a grin that somehow struck Aria as malicious. The doorbell chimed, signifying another patron. "But maybe by the time you leave this island, all the negative press towards sirens will be gone, and you can escape the government just with your song alone."_

 _"Jiro! Stop encouraging Aria to become an Abroader!" Allegro snapped as she stomped through the room in her oversized snow boots, tracking in snow and mud. Aria pursed her lips at the sight of her sister. "I want her to stay with me!"_

 _Allegro was always so possessive towards Aria. She was normally very easy-going, but something about being an older sister to Aria made their relationship different. They were always butting heads and getting into disagreements, verbal or otherwise, but Allegro refused to let Aria go._

 _"I'm gonna do it no matter what you want, Allegro."_

 _Allegro stuck out her tongue petulantly. "Not with your grades! I'm more likely to become an Abroader than you!"_

 _Aria turned up her nose. "As if! Your academic skills may be higher, but my grades in Practicality are so much higher than yours!"_

 _"Fine! Whoever gets published first will decide what happens to you!"_

 _"I'm not going to agree to that." Aria knew that Allegro would be at an advantage if she did, her age contributing to the difficulty of her coursework along with her ability to get recognized._

 _"If you can't win such a simple challenge, then you should just give up. Abroaders can't be afraid to shine in academics or practicality!" Allegro turned her nose up haughtily, and Aria bristled._

 _"You two take your sibling rivalry to a whole new level of competitiveness, you know?" Jiro interrupted, sighing heavily. "You could try being nice to one another for a change."_

 _"We're plenty nice to each other!" / "I literally let her have the fluffiest blanket all night last night." Aria and Allegro said simultaneously._

 _"Perhaps you two spend too much time together." Jiro suggested, an exasperated look on his face as his shoulders slumped. He rubbed his webbed hand behind his neck awkwardly as the two children glared at his suggestion._

 _Aria crossed her arms and turned away from the two of them. "I just wanna be able to see stuff and know everything."_

 _"Dummy, you can't know everything. That's literally impossible." Aria looked heartbroken at her sister's insult, and her eyes started to water._

 _"Then I wanna know everything about one thing." Aria pouted._

 _Jiro smiled, trying to placate the upset child. "Then maybe you should study your devil fruit power, hmm? If you can awaken it and record everything about it, I'm sure even the Queen would be impressed!"_

 _Aria blinked through her tears. "Really? Do you really think she'd be impressed if I could know everything about it? Do you think she'd let me be an Abroader if I promise to learn everything?"_

 _Jiro shrugged. "Who knows? You'll have to do well in your studies and practice hard if you want to find out."_

 _Aria sniffled aggressively, trying to reign in her tears, and she nodded with determination. "Okay! I'm gonna do it, and then she'll HAVE to let me be an Abroader!"_

 _Allegro sighed in exasperation while Jiro smiled fondly at Aria._

Aria woke up slowly from her peaceful dream. It had probably been her desire to get more acquainted with her powers that had spurred the memories, but it felt so nostalgic.

"What a dumb kid I was…" Aria muttered, and stretched. There was a long day ahead of her, and she had a lot of work to do. Aria's lips tugged into a smile. At least that hadn't changed since she was a child.

* * *

It had been a week since the raid on Mata Nui, and Aria was finally starting to feel more at ease. She had been practicing near the spring with her powers for a few hours a day now, letting her feel in control of herself again. Hachi had been dropping by just as regularly, not afraid or mad at her in the slightest, and actually seemed more friendly towards her than before, somehow. She had even managed to live through a joint visit of Arlong, Chew, Hachi, Kakuzu, and Kuroobi when they dropped off her materials and supplies, even though Kuroobi had been distrustful of her letters and Chew kept trying to worm information out of her.

Yesterday had been particularly awkward. Arlong and company had arrived early in the morning, while she was still tending to her early morning chores, and proceeded to go about like they owned the place. Arlong had surprised her, telling Kuroobi to back off on snooping through Aria's files. She appreciated it, and Kuroobi hadn't seemed too miffed by the captain's trust in Aria.

It had been an eventful week, trying to hide her training from Hachi while trying to keep up a steady rate of progress on Arlong's sound generator. She had missed a lot of sleep in the process, although the nightmares made her want to avoid the concept altogether.

Now it was just a day until Arlong would be showing up for a progress report. Aria needed to impress him. It wasn't just because she wanted to prove herself as a scientist, but to prove that she had made the right choice on Mata Nui.

Because of that, she had already started cutting out pieces of the steel based on her observations of the prototype she'd started at Arlong Park. Her original designs for the prototype still worked, per se, but there were definitely some things that needed improvement. The entire frame could stand to be condensed, as it didn't need as much inner space as Aria originally assumed, and the airflow inside would still have large enough channels to keep the generator from overheating.

Then Aria had begun reworking the circuitry, after realizing that some of the gates weren't necessary. Physical creations had never been her specialty, so Aria hadn't paid much attention to how many errors were in her invention until the prototype was actually in development. Now that she knew Arlong would be expecting weaponry to assist in his raids, Aria's pride couldn't bear the thought of giving him something shoddily developed, and she fully intended to fix her ineptitude in creating physical objects. If Aria intended to be the best with her element, she would have to conquer that particular hurdle eventually, so she appreciated the the motivator.

Now she was redeveloping her blueprints, adding notes to things she intended to alter when creating the full version. Aria hoped they would impress Arlong enough, as she jotted down information in the margins. It wasn't as if she was concerned about him punishing her, despite Hachi's warnings and tales of Nami's treatment. Aria frowned. No, it was more as if she was hoping for his praise. It was a strange realization. It had been a long time since she'd wanted praise from someone. Perhaps an even longer amount of time than it took to leave Aqua Atlus once she became an Abroader. Longer than she had realized she wanted to be alone, and done with the trials of community.

Aria finished noting through one blueprint, and moved to a more detailed page as she carried on with her thoughts. Her frown intensified as she carried on with her introspection. Aria enjoyed Arlong's company, she realized, but that wasn't enough reason to want his praise. She certainly didn't care when Hachi praised her, nor Nami. Kuroobi's praise was nice, but that was because she was sure he didn't mind if she dropped dead. Arlong wanted her alive, on the other hand. Hachi had enchanted her with the idea of becoming nakama with the crew and with Arlong, but he hadn't mentioned praise ever being a part of that, either. So why did she care?

Aria flinched as she remembered the way Arlong had held her the night she'd killed the child. The way he'd let her stay in his bed when she had to go there to escape the nightmares after. The way he'd promised he wouldn't force her to kill again. Those moments were far too soft for her liking, far too personal, and Aria couldn't help but notice how her stomach flopped uncomfortably and how her heart twinged at the memories.

No. That was unacceptable. Aria threw her pen down and scowled at the blueprint before her like it was the one who had forced her violent response. Arlong was not the sort of person to _crush_ on. Arlong was little more than a gangster, trying to organize an empire for his kin. He was dangerous, she knew that, Hachi had warned her about that, and he had proven that. Who cared if he smelled nice, or he could tattoo well, or he could play the piano? With a sneer, Aria went over to her collection of fruit that she had been testing her sound abilities on, and proceeded to overzealously disenegrate each one. Arlong was the reason she hated herself. Arlong was the reason she couldn't rely on herself. Arlong was the reason she wasn't alone anymore. Arlong was the reason she didn't feel in control anymore, and goddammit, he was doing it _again_ with her own feelings!

Aria glowered at the juice that remained from her temper tantrum, before closing her eyes and trying to reign in her temper. She took deep, calming breaths and tried to talk herself into a calmer mindset.

"It's okay, Aria. You've known since you came home that things were going to be complicated." Aria murmured. The darkness behind her eyes was doing little to ease her anger, but the calming breaths seemed to help.

In, out. In, out.

"You knew your emotions were going to be unstable, what with everything you dealt with."

In, out. In, out.

"You knew you had to start thinking of Arlong as a friend. This is okay. This is fine. Your emotions just need to stabilize, and then this will all just be an unpleasant memory. An unfortunate thought. An unfortunate side-effect."

In, out. In, out.

Aria finally managed to find calmness, after nearly ten minutes of slow breathing and adjusting her attitude towards her revelation. Even if she did have a crush on Arlong at this current moment, so what? It wouldn't amount to anything. Arlong, as he would routinely tell her, thought humans were lesser beings. He hated them. He hated her. It was fine, a minor emotional oversight at best, and it would fade into nothingness like all her other past crushes had. There was no reason to feel afraid that she was becoming so attached.

And really, she was just as dangerous as he was. And just as responsible for her own self-hatred.

While washing the residue off of her hands, Aria decided that perhaps she had been being too whimsical with her novel choices. Too many that she had bought recently focused on romance, and perhaps that had been corrupting her feelings towards her true love, science. She would henceforth throw all romance novels into the generator shed, not to be looked at again until she could trust her emotions. It was a shame, because _A Lesson in Blue_ was almost through its rising action, but such was life.

It took her nearly an hour to gather all of them, having been scattered around the various bookshelves, but the small mountain of smut made Aria very aware of her problem. She would be glad to kick this addiction. However, now that she could see it's size, she could also see how much effort it was going to be to lug them out of the house, and how much time it would take. With a sigh, Aria mentally rearranged her to-do list so that she would do this tomorrow, after Arlong had left. Hopefully he would not ask why there was a pile of romance novels nearly as tall as Nami piled in her living room. But to ensure that, she would have to distract him quite a bit.

As Aria set her apricot bikini on top of the dresser, she thanked Aqua Atlus for teaching Aria how to distract a man. She just hoped it wouldn't backfire on her this time.

* * *

Arlong was in a good mood as he stepped into Aria's clearing. Hachi had told him that Aria had spent the week aggressively revising the prototype, and physically altering it to better meet her standards. Considering how ugly it had been before, Arlong was most definitely pleased at the news.

Seeing Aria waiting for him in her lawn chair, reading a heavy book, made him grin. Arlong was always so appreciative of Aria's ability to balance her work and his visits, and she always prepared for him. But she was in that swimsuit again, her long legs crossed and raised to the sun without a care about how her skin glinted in the sunlight, her newly-painted fingernails pressed to her lips as her brow furrowed in concentration. It made him hesitate for a brief moment. But he carried on, as Aria was obviously waiting for him, her sunbathing probably just an inconsequential effect of Aria's need to always be multitasking.

He called out to her, and she smiled at him when she looked up. She marked her spot before closing her book, and stretched as she stood. "Let's go straight to the lab. I've made a lot of revisions to the prototype since last week."

"Sounds good to me. I'm eager to see what's changed."

Arlong followed her into the house, and noticed that the living room was occupied by a small mountain.

"Whats with all the books?" He asked, raising a brow at what he could see was a very risque cover.

"I've decided to reorganize my shelves, and those are going into storage." Aria chirped, not even sparing them a glance as she headed towards the lab.

"You didn't strike me as someone who read romance novels." Arlong teased, now unable to get the thought of Aria reading gutter-trash books instead of interacting with people out of his head. She had to have gotten her seduction knowledge from somewhere, and Arlong couldn't see her getting romantically involved with anyone.

"I have to have something to read for pleasure." She replied, and pulled the key to the lab out of thin air. Arlong would have been frustrated at being thwarted yet again from finding out its normal hiding place, had he not been so confused as to where she could have been hiding it on her person. It's not like that skimpy bikini had pockets or anything...

"Pleasure, hmm?" Arlong caught sight of an embarrassed frown on her face as she fumbled with the keys and couldn't resist teasing her more. "You don't have to read for that. I'm sure we could find you a nice crewmate who would be willing to overlook your reclusive nature."

"What a shame we won't be able to find one willing to put up with your gaudy outfits." Aria replied, only slightly failing to successfully keep a dry and level tone by an unfortunately timed crack in her voice. Arlong snickered, the intended insult made worthless by her unsteady voice, and shoved her into her lab.

The scientist launched into an explanation about her drafts, dragging out various things as she spoke. Any past embarrassment was gone, replaced by an excited chattered as Aria talked about her projects with an infectious passion, though it wasn't without the occasional snide joke.

Arlong slowly came to the realization that he had a crush on Aria. He probably would have found the idea entirely laughable and dismissed it entirely, had he not come to the conclusion as Aria was bent over a lab table and smoothing out blueprints, wearing naught but an orange bikini.

Arlong felt incredibly foolish and irritated at his revelation, despite the lovely view before him. But all Aria had to do was look at him with that haughty smirk and all thoughts of self-hatred and human-hatred were tossed out in favor of listening to her explain things that were far too complicated for him to understand in her lovely contralto voice.

Aria's confidence in her ideas and theories and plans was never more vibrant and real than when she had him all to herself, and she could just gush about them endlessly. Arlong knew she was definitely stroking his ambitions on purpose when she did so, but there was enough proof in her work that he took her wild ideas to heart without question.

Arlong slid his arm along Aria's bare waist, casually resting his weight against the table while keeping her ass pressed to his thigh. Aria only paused her explanation for a fraction of a second, bristling at the sudden skin-on-skin contact, before pushing onward. Ever so slowly, Aria relaxed against him, never even turning to look at Arlong.

Arlong hummed appreciatively as Aria dutifully explained every part of the blueprint, only half-listening. Arlong had seen them before, when they were still rough drafts, and they weren't nearly as interesting as the contrast between Aria's pink curls against her ochre skin or her apricot bikini top. The fact that Arlong knew her lovely back was as soft as it looked made it even harder to pay attention, as all he wanted to do was run his hands up and down the smooth skin. Perhaps even tug at the tiny bows holding the suit together.

Arlong pursed his lips at that particular thought, and just barely resisted sighing in aggravation. Arlong promised himself one last glance before he got back down to business. As he did, Aria moved ever so slightly and her hair and top shifted just enough to see something underneath.

His fingers brushed against the revealed tattoo on her back, and Aria bristled much more violently than before. "Aria-chan, what's this mark?" Arlong asked, firm and suspicious. Arlong was surprised he hadn't seen it before, hadn't noticed it before. The small tattoo had a meaning, a purpose, but he couldn't recall where he'd seen it before.

Aria's hands clenched into balls, and she chewed on her lip before she answered. "Aqua Atlus scientists who are placed on long-term missions are tattooed with the mark of whomever they're serving. In my case, the royal family's." Her tone was hard and even, a sharp contrast to the energetic and eager explanation voice before.

Arlong lifted the back of her bikini more, nose wrinkling in anger as he looked at the tattoo. What he was angry at, Arlong couldn't pinpoint. The tattoo was simple, and on closer inspection was easy to overlook. It was old and fading poorly, not nearly as well-done as the tattoos Arlong frequently saw on his men, and it didn't take Aria's skintone into account when made. The symbol was a small cross expanding into a triangle.

Aria exhaled shakily, and Arlong realized she had been holding her breath as he traced over the tattoo with his finger. It was as smooth as the rest of her skin, Arlong realized in hindsight, and for some reason that thought calmed him down considerably. "How long have you been working for them?" Arlong asked, as he pulled Aria's bikini back into place.

"Ten years? Maybe more. I can't remember." Aria's voice was clipped, and Arlong sighed heavily. The subject was uncomfortable, for both of them. He'd known she was working for them, he'd found that out when he first snooped through her letters. But he hadn't expected them to tattoo her. Pirates did that, _he_ did that, not a country's own royal scientists. Even the Royal Family's guards hadn't been branded.

Arlong placed a hand on Aria's shoulder, and ran his thumb over her shoulder blade, trying to diffuse her tension. It had the opposite effect, and Arlong pursed his lips as her hackles rose. "Is that why you left?"

"It wasn't because I was bored or branded." Aria sneered as she stood up fully and crossed her arms. "I always wanted to leave."

"Why?" Aria growled at the question, but Arlong didn't back down. "You let them mark you even though you wanted to leave. Why, Aria-chan?"

Aria whirled around to meet his gaze, finally, and the anger in her eyes reminded him of their first meeting. "Because then I could be alone like I'm suppose to be! I'd have the ability to be all by myself, forever!" Arlong winced at her words, which had been amplified by Aria's fruit powers. Aria covered her mouth and flushed in embarrassment and rage.

Arlong thought over her words, and was upset. He'd wanted her to be his crew mate, even though she was just a human. He valued her skills and her mind and her stubbornness. Arlong even valued her preference to live alone, to work alone, to be alone and have little distraction. But the thought that she only took his mark to continue being alone and live and not even try to be his nakama pissed him off.

"Did you let me mark you so that you could be alone?" Arlong asked, eyes narrowed and voice close to a growl. Aria refused to meet his gaze, and her silence told more than her words could have. He should have known better. "You're suppose to be our mate. Our nakama. You're not just a hermit anymore, Aria-chan." Arlong sneered hatefully. "Although now I'm wishing I'd killed you as one."

And with that, Arlong stormed off, slamming the doors as he went. He must have broken something, because Aria squawked indignantly, but he didn't hear her following after him. Arlong wouldn't have stopped, even if she did.

When he finally got home, he was still so broody and visibly pissed off that anyone who spotted him made themselves small, and that irritated him all the more. Nakama were suppose to take care of one another. They weren't suppose to hide themselves at the sight of him, no matter how piss-poor his mood was. Arlong knew his temper had gotten worse since his time in Impel Down, but he wasn't that unbearable. He wasn't that violent. He would never hurt a fellow fishman. They knew that, didn't they?

Only Chew dared to approach him, Kuroobi and Hachi both hidden in or around the compound. "Hey, Arlong-san, that mouse marine sent us some information about the local islands, and also about the local bounty hunters like we requested." Chew knew how to distract him from his foul moods, and Arlong appreciated his childhood friend's talent.

"Oh? Might as well see what we're up against." Arlong did need a distraction, and business was the best. Nezumi's info on the local seas would be ever so helpful in building his empire. Arlong was grateful that the marine had a nose for sniffing out lucrative business deals, Arlong lining his pockets in trade of information and hiding the pirate's activities.

"Most of the bounty hunters seem pretty weak, chu." Chew noted happily, flipping through the pages as they walked together. "The only real people we have to look out for right now is this trio of kids up north who take down entire pirate crews for fun. But they're _kids_ , and they haven't ever left their island yet."

"The East Blue really is the weakest of the Four Seas, shahaha." Arlong had crumpled so many marines that it was no wonder bounty hunters were popular here, even if they were no stronger. "How about opposing pirates? Anyone to keep an eye on?"

"Apparently we came just at the right time, chu, cus that new Yonko, Red-Haired, left the East Blue a little more than a year ago." Arlong grimaced at the thought of having to fight a Yonko for territory so soon, and felt grateful at their timing. "The Black Cat Pirates have been raising hell to the east, but they mostly seem interested in raiding. The Alvida pirates have been roaming the seas up north for a long while, but the only dangerous thing about them is how ugly their captain is." Chew snickered at his own joke. "Don Krieg is recruiting around the entire sea, but all he is is a lot of recruits."

"How many is he up to?" Arlong frowned thoughtfully.

"He's got ten ships right now, each with about a hundred men on them, chuu." Chew answered easily. "A thousand men, give or take. Considering we have 75 men of our own, we'd only have to take down fourteen each to get rid of them."

Arlong cackled at that. "An easy feat! They'd need fifty ships to even come close to being a problem for us."

Chew nodded, a malicious grin slipping onto his face. "It's almost like they're begging us to take them over, with weaklings like that. I mean, the Bluejam Pirates use to be a big threat around here, but they got taken down by that trio of kids I mentioned earlier."

"What a joke!" Arlong crowed. "I hope we don't get _bored_ living around here."

Chew laughed at the prospect. "If we do, perhaps we could try to imitate Germa Kingdom and just make all of these humans our servants."

Arlong hummed at the thought. "No, Jinbe would be on us in a heartbeat if we tried to be as observable as the Vinsmokes." Chew grimaced and nodded. "How about the islands? What looks like a good next target, hmm?"

They talked all the way up to Arlong's floor, making a vague plan of attack for the local islands. There were quite a few targets nearby that were promising. Several small islands with easily controlled villages, or islands with valuable and exploitable resources. It would be so easy to expand his empire.

"We can start with Cinnabar Island soon, perhaps even in a few weeks. Then we can expand to the others." Arlong felt his ambition swell at the thought. They could send Nami to survey the islands tomorrow, and start formulating a plan of attack for each. Aria's first weapon would be done by the time they started their invasion, if her blueprints were anything to go by. Arlong resisted the urge to frown as he remembered his distraction from them. He should have been paying more attention to what Aria had been saying, instead of thinking about that stupid bullshit going through his head.

Chew nodded and gathered up all of the papers. "I'll go talk to Kuroobi and Hachi, chuu, and we can start organizing everything tomorrow." Chew shut the door quietly when he left, and Arlong found himself too wound up in eagerness to relax. There was just so much they could _take_ here, and no one to stop them.

Arlong found himself practicing with his Kiribachi to get rid of his excess energy, and was so caught up in his thoughts and his routines that he didn't hear his door open. He didn't even notice anyone was in the room with him at all, until Aria stepped directly in his line of vision, just barely out of reach of his Kiribachi.

"What are you doing here?" Arlong tried to grumble, but he couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. Aria looked mildly impressed, appraising him as he tossed the sword over his shoulder, but she covered it quickly, her mouth forming a thin line.

"You're not very observant. I've been here for nearly fifteen minutes. Did I piss you off that much?" Arlong's brows rose. God, sometimes it seemed like Aria had never heard of the concept of tact.

"Don't think so highly of yourself. You're so beneath me that I just didn't notice you." Arlong replied cooly. Aria sneered, and crossed her arms haughtily after tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Doubtful. You're so arrogant an assassin could've snuck up behind you and slit your throat without you even noticing."

Arlong scoffed. "You're hardly one to talk." He put Kiribachi back in its rightful place and then loomed over Aria. "Is there a problem, or are you just wasting time by being here?" To his surprise, Aria didn't feign confidence or meet his gaze, and instead looked away sheepishly.

"I'm not good with people. You know that." Aria said curtly, and her fingers tightened around her arms.

Arlong scowled and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Oh, I hadn't noticed. You always speak with such grace and respect." Her lips pursed, but she still didn't try and sneer up at him.

"I do as much as I can to avoid people. I always have. Joining a pirate crew was never something I really ever expected to happen. I don't know how to be a pirate. To be nakama." Aria spoke quietly, but her voice wasn't shaky. Arlong frowned as he remembered earlier. Aria wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be a pirate, to be his nakama. But instead of ignoring his anger towards her and pretending she hadn't upset him when he next visited, like he expected, she was here, talking to him. Taking time away from studying and researching and building to talk to him about this.

"Even just interacting with Hachi and you is exhausting." Arlong's lips thinned, but she couldn't see his displeasure if she wouldn't look at him. "But I'm trying. More than I did with Aqua Atlus. A hell of a lot more than I did with them." Those statements caught him off guard, and then even more when the corners of Aria's lips quirked up ever so slightly. "I never went to any of their parties, that's for sure."

"My, my. Is the haughty Aria-chan saying she wants to be nakama?" Arlong crooned, crossing his arms. "That's not something you just become because you want to." Arlong sneered.

Aria finally looked up at him, and huffed. "That's not what I'm trying to do."

"Then what _are_ you trying to do?"

Aria grew sheepish again, and pointedly looked at the wall. "I'm trying...I'm trying to apologize, I guess. I'm shit at this." Arlong's jaw fell slack in surprise, and he waited for Aria to laugh or something. She wasn't serious, right? Aria sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to try and be more...crew-like. But I'm not very good with people. And you piss me off, a lot. So you'll just have to deal with it if I need space. But you're right, I'm not just a hermit anymore."

Arlong stared at her for a few moments after she had finished. He was unsure of how to take all of that. But still, it was funny how embarrassed she was talking about it. "You're so stupid sometimes." He snickered.

"What?" Aria's head whipped up and she narrowed her eyes. Arlong merely smirked at her and patted her head, ignoring Aria's growling. " _That's_ all you're going to say, after all that?" Her arms fell to her sides and her fists balled up.

"Yes." Aria gave him a particularly indignant look, and Arlong couldn't help but laugh at her. His expression quickly turned somber as he recalled what had started their little spat. "Though I wouldn't mind you telling me what that mark is about."

Aria pursed her lips, and Arlong could see her gauging how much information she wanted to give out. But slowly, the tension in her frame relaxed. "Like I said before, it's proof that I'm a Royal Scientist. Not all Abroaders are. They gave that mark to me in return for my devil fruit." Aria's brows furrowed. "Though they probably would have marked me whether I took the fruit or not." She grumbled.

Arlong nodded as he accepted the information. Then, he recalled an important detail from before. "You mentioned a long-term mission, before? What exactly are you doing here, Aria-chan?" He couldn't help the way his voice turned malicious in his suspicion, but Aria didn't back down or bring her guard back up. Instead, she merely shrugged.

"My being here has nothing to do with that mission. All that's required of me is that I study my fruit to the fullest extent of my ability, and report the findings. The 'where' was not particularly important to them." Aria graced him with a mirthless smile. "You'd get along with them, probably. They just want the results, and they don't care how they're obtained."

Arlong bristled at the insult, but he couldn't deny it. He wanted results, and he didn't really care how Aria did her job. He _did_ differ from them in one aspect, though. One he ought to remind her of, if she truly wanted to be nakama. He closed the space between them, ducking down so that they could be at eye level as he crooned, "perhaps I would, but I'd never want you to hate me so much you'd rather leave. Like I said, if you're a crew member of mine, you're suppose to be family."

Aria's face couldn't pick an emotion to display long enough for him to decipher them. Eventually, she settled on cavalier. "I thought you considered me too selfish when it came to family."

Arlong smirked. "You told me you we putting forth a 'hell of a lot more effort than you ever did with them,' so I'll put my faith into you." Aria flushed, and couldn't look him in the eyes. "Besides, with your hermit personality, I might as well consider myself lucky that you ever step off your island."

"You also ought to consider yourself lucky that I agreed to work with your infuriating self at all." Aria growled under her breath. Arlong stood and shook his head at her haughty facade.

"Go home, Aria-chan. I'll leave you alone for a bit." He snickered, ruffling her hair just to piss her off a bit more.

"I might as well! Since I'm such a hermit!" Aria sneered, and she walked off. Arlong snickered as she left, secretly pleased that it was her storming off this time.

Arlong thought about her words as he climbed into the shower, tossing his sweat-stained clothes into the bin. Aria did want to be a pirate with them, somewhat. She wanted to be a part of his crew. She'd rather be his scientist than her homeland's. The thought made his ego swell. It was strange, though, because a month and a half ago she had no interest in it at all. She only wanted to be left alone. What had changed?

Perhaps it had been Kakuzu or Hachi. Aria got along with them well enough. Or maybe it was Gajeel and Dresden. The two metalsmiths had offhandedly mentioned that Aria seemed eager to learn more from them. It certainly wasn't due to Nami, as their relationship was awkward and tense, even more so after Mata Nui. And it couldn't be because of himself. Aria herself had said he pissed her off. Yet...she had come all the way to Arlong Park to apologize. The fact that she had apologized at all still surprised him. Arlong had expected her to pretend like it had never happened, to avoid the issue like she avoided Nami and the villagers.

The fact that she hadn't made Arlong feel foolish for running off. And when he considered the time she spent with him, with Hachi, and the other crewmates she liked, Arlong felt like an ass. Aria had been trying. They were small steps, but they were more than she had ever given the Cocoyashi villagers. Perhaps he should have apologized, too.

Arlong scoffed at that. Apologize, to a human? Aria may have been his crew, but Arlong wasn't ready to stoop so low just yet. She was still just a fresh recruit. She had passed her initiation and proved her basic loyalty, but there was still plenty of work to do. It wasn't like she had offered up her blood for them. Even as he thought about that, Arlong couldn't fight the memory of Aria chipperly explaining her blueprints that would help them take over the next island. Worse, he couldn't fight the memory of running his finger against the fading tattoo on her back.

* * *

Aria sighed as she pushed the door open. "Shit, today was such a mess." She grumbled as she ran her fingers through her hair. It had been so embarrassing, trying not to overtly act like she was eager for Arlong's attention while trying to distract him with his baser instincts.

She was still surprised that had even worked. Perhaps their training session had spurred interest for him, too? No, Aria thought as she shook her head, that was impossible, with how it had ended.

But it was hard to argue against how Arlong had tried to play off his interest, with how he'd trapped her between the table and his body. There was only so much that Aria could brush off as him being handsy. Just like she couldn't deny that she'd enjoyed the feeling over him so overtly looming behind her.

Things could have progressed much smoother if it weren't for that damn tattoo on her back, Aria thought bitterly. Perhaps if she had lied? No, Arlong was sure to have seen that symbol somewhere in the letters he had snooped through, and even if he hadn't seen their meaning, he was incredibly suspicious enough that lying would have been difficult. Especially since her initial reaction had blown that avenue to hell worse than a Buster Call.

With a sigh, Aria went about making dinner. It was much later now than when she usually ate, but she had needed to do _something_ about Arlong. Still, she couldn't afford to get any more off schedule. Aria whipped up a quick stir fry and baked fish, silently grateful for Hachi catching and filleting the fish for her. Becoming nakama with the crew of pirates was going to be difficult and going against her desires of solitude, but as she savored the delicious protein, the scientist decided it would be worth the effort.

Hachi was nothing but kind to her, even if he couldn't be more tactless at times. Aria enjoyed his ditziness and how eager he was to help. He was a well of knowledge in his own right, but on the most random topics such as how to make the perfect takoyaki batter.

Chew was still uncomfortable around her, not trusting her devil fruit powers or that she wouldn't use them on him again, but he seemed to enjoy her library and her instruments. His opinion of her had improved considerably after finding several books from a series he enjoyed, including one he didn't know existed. Aria had let him borrow it, and Chew had grinned almost as wide as Hachi could.

Kuroobi disliked that she was human and couldn't be as easily tied down as Nami, but he appreciated her garden and the fact that she grew most of her food. They had held a nice conversation about the finicky nature of growing herbs, and Kuroobi had asked her to grow some plants he would use in muscle-soothing salves.

Dresden and Gajeel enjoyed teaching her their craft, and they were passionately interested in her projects. They had promised to stop by and give her tips on welding and soldering, and also to repair some of her tools. The couple had just been so eager to have someone new to talk to about their various smithing projects that they had almost talked her ear off, but Aria was grateful that her teachers were so passionate.

Kakuzu had checked up on Aria a few times this week, making sure she hadn't opened any of her wounds and bringing her medicine. Then he had brought a bunch of plants he had tried growing, though...It was obvious they had been dead quite a while. They had been limp, almost white with decay, and smelled horrendous. Aria promised to grow him new ones after the plant corpses were identified and destroyed, and found that Kuroobi and Kakuzu were both interested in being able to grow medicine on her island. Aria agreed to teach them how to properly grow their plants, if only so the plants wouldn't suffer under Kakuzu's care again. Aria found it horribly amusing that the crew's doctor could patch up any sort of wound, but couldn't keep a plant alive.

And Arlong...Arlong was far too observant and dangerously brutish. What he lacked in book smarts he made up for with quick thinking and a general distrust towards anything not monetary. He had the charisma of a king to his followers, but oh did he hate his enemies. He loved jewelry and tacky decorations and had all the fashion sense of a thug, but they suited him well. The button-up shirts that hung loosely off his frame only emphasized the flow of his body. His frame radiated strength and fortitude, and Aria knew that punching him was like punching a wall. But for all his taut muscle and scars, he had soft, smooth skin on his stomach and back, and he was ever so warm. His calloused hands felt so nice brushing against her skin, and Aria could easily recall the feeling of his fingers tracing her tattoo.

Aria's interactions with Arlong in particular would linger in her mind for far longer than she liked. She still hoped it was just an unfortunate side effect of being around new people after isolating herself, and that it was because he was technically her captain now. He had more precedence, more of an impact with his position. But she intended to be nakama with the crew, even if it meant suffering through awkward conversations and distrust and all the other unpleasant things that came with social interaction. Such as constant replays of the feel of warmth against her skin.

They would bring her fish, after all. And Aria loved fish almost as much as she loved science.

Cleaning her dishes, Aria couldn't help but smile. It had been such a long time since she had wanted to interact with people, hadn't it? Since she'd made plans with people. She couldn't believe how enjoyable it was. Aria hoped it would stay that way as she stepped into the lab, eager to get back to rebuilding her prototype.

The future didn't look as bleak as it did last week.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

"It's Arlong-san's birthday today! And he'd probably appreciate it if you'd come." Surprise flickered onto the hermit's face, and she crossed her arms as she considered it.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. I'm ahead of schedule."

* * *

AN: Despite the fact that Aria & Arlong both realized they have a crush on the other, it's gonna be a long, _long_ time until either of them decide to do anything about it. This _is_ a slow burn fic, after all. :3s I might have an AU of chapter 12 to post to Ao3 soon, to keep the satisfy those who were distraught by Aria choosing to punch Arlong instead of y'know...continuing...

Next chapter is still a WIP so it might be late. It's 80% written but it's always the last 20% that's rough. Plus, editing!

Btw, my twitter is HollowVoidSiren, in case you want to hear me screaming about Arlong and other things.


	18. Grand Slam Celebration

**Chapter 18:** Grand Slam Celebration

AN: This chapter wound up needing a lot more work than I thought it would, but it turned out so much better than the original version. Twice as long as the normal chapter, too! Thanks for being patient!

cws for: underage drinking

* * *

May was officially here, the standard Conomi spring leaving the weather warm and the skies sunny. The sea was full of playful energy, and the fish stared at Hachi curiously as he swam on by, a jovial grin on his face.

May was probably Hachi's favorite month. There was always good parties and food and everyone was always in a good mood, and so far this had held true on Conomi too.

Hachi hummed to himself as he landed on Aria's beach. He shook his head, letting any stray water droplets fall from his hair and tugged at his clothes, pulling a face when he realized they was probably going to stay wet. How did humans deal with having absorbent clothes? It seemed like such a pain to have the wet materials slogging you down.

Still, it was nothing to let himself get down about. Apparently the seasheep that were common around Fishman Island were extraordinarily rare in the East, and there was nothing Hachi could do about resorting to human materials for clothing. Better not to worry about it.

Hachi glanced at the greenhouses as he approached Aria's clearing, and saw that they were empty. Good, he'd timed this right!

"Hey, Aria-chan!" Hachi called as he entered the house, a wide grin spread across his face. "You wanna go to a party?"

The door to the upstairs bathroom opened with its usual scraping sound. Aria walked out, hair glistening with water. "Not particularly. What's the occasion?" She replied as she walked down the staircase.

Hachi didn't let her reluctance deter him. "It's Arlong-san's birthday today! And he'd probably appreciate it if you'd come." Surprise flickered onto the hermit's face, and she crossed her arms as she considered it.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. I'm ahead of schedule." Aria said.

"Nyuu, really, Aria-chan?" Aria nodded, a small smile slipping onto her face at how excited Hachi looked. Hachi's grin stretched even further. He hadn't expected that he'd be successful so quickly! It was nice to see Aria so easily swayed. "Great! The party won't start until about seven or so, so you don't need to worry about rushing around."

Aria nodded in understanding. "Alright. Are you going to swing by to pick me up, or should I just drop on by?"

Hachi considered it, holding a thoughtful pose as he did. "Well, Arlong-san doesn't really like the thought of you accidently drowning...So I should probably come pick you up, nyuu. Probably around six or so?"

"Sounds good. Though I hope he won't mind if I don't bring him a gift." Aria snickered.

Hachi waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, I'm sure he won't mind at all!" Hachi said sincerely. "No one had told you, after all!" Oh, no one had told the octopus fishman when Aria's birthday was, either. "By the way, when's yours?"

Aria tilted her head, and she blinked in surprise. "My birthday?" When Hachi nodded eagerly she looked sheepish. "It was back in April. The 19th."

"Aria-chan!" Hachi gasped. "You didn't even tell me, nyuu!"

The hermit gave him a petulant look at his scolding. "I didn't think it was important."

Hachi's brow furrowed. "Of course it does! You're my friend. Next year I'll be sure to bring you over to Arlong Park so that we can all celebrate it."

Aria stared at Hachi incredulously, trying to deem if he was being sincere, and flushed when she realized he very well intended to do just that. "N-no, that's not necessary in the slightest!" Hachi deflated so much that Aria felt the need to console him. "I mean, we can still hang out and stuff, but I don't really want anything big! A-and it could just be a small thing, cus I know you guys have things to do and Arlong hates getting behind schedule about as much as I do."

Still, Hachi pouted. "By then he probably won't even mind if you get everyone off track, nyuu. He'd probably welcome a party for you even."

"I don't know! But I don't know if I could handle that big of a thing. I don't even know if I could handle tonight..." Aria muttered the last sentence. "I'm still getting use to socializing again."

Hachi remembered that Aria had needed to excuse herself the last time there had been a party. He felt somewhat bad about trying to guilt trip her into accepting a huge event, now that he recalled the last one. And she had accepted his offer to go to Arlong's birthday tonight, hadn't she? She was making progress and attempting to socialize with them. "Nyuu...I'm sorry, Aria-chan, I'd forgotten that you don't handle big groups well."

Aria smiled at him softly. "No, you're fine, Hachi. Hopefully by then I'll be comfortable with that." The hermit squared her shoulders. "Until then, I have to prepare for tonight."

Hachi laughed at the dry tone of her voice. "I'll leave you to that. See you in a few hours, Aria-chan!" He waved goodbye and Aria returned the gesture. The octopus fishman quickly jogged down the path to the beach, humming jovially without a care in the world. Aria wondered how he could always be so upbeat, and envied his positive disposition.

When Hachi was out of sight from her front windows, Aria sighed heavily and slumped against the staircase. A party? What was she thinking? Sure, she had been trying to become closer with the crew, to become nakama, but after the last two parties she had been to, she knew they were excessive and loud.

She also recalled that there would be lots of alcohol, and Aria couldn't help but grimace. The fruity drink Arlong had given her before was nice once she got past the overwhelming liquor flavor, but it had made her so sleepy that she had passed out in the nearest deserted hallway. Which initially hadn't been a bad idea, until Arlong had moved her to his suite. Waking up in a dark room in bed with a man after a night of drinking was something Aqua Atlus had always warned Abroaders about. They had made it out to be a horror story, and Aria knew it was for good reason. Thankfully her new captain wouldn't stoop so low, but Aria knew she needed to be more careful.

Aria pulled herself off the steps, and set about finding a nice outfit to wear. It would hardly do to show up to a party in her captain's honor in her regular style of shorts and tanks. Tapping her finger against her lip, the hermit recalled that she had a nice dress she had gotten back from the tailor's during her initiation week. She dug through the dresser until she found the dress in question, and then wondered why she ever parted with the clothing at all. It was a nice navy blue dress with a halter neckline, a cream woven pattern wrapping around the waistline and its trim. She had just the perfect nail polish and sandals to go with it, Aria recalled with a smug grin. She was going to knock them dead.

When Hachi came to pick the hermit up, he wasn't expecting her to have gone out of her comfort zone much. And somehow it looked like she hadn't, looking very natural and comfortable as she walked beside him and chattered about her experiments. But it was obvious that she had tried, and Hachi was glad that she was going out of her way to participate.

* * *

Arlong had been in a good mood all day, although it was no surprise as to why. It was his birthday, after all, and everyone was going out of their way to make the day pleasant.

So far he'd been treated to lots of good food and drink, and all the day's work had gone smoothly. Chew, Kuroobi, and Arlong had spent a good couple of hours pouring of Nami's initial charts of Cinnabar. In a few days, Nami might have the topography of the island finished, and they could plan their takeover more efficiently.

They had also recently collected tribute from all of the Conomi towns, so there was plenty of funding for the night's party. Shioyaki and Pisaro had gone all-out in purchasing the best they could from Goza and Cocoyashi, and the smell of food had filled Arlong Park all day.

They had decorated Arlong Park with thin strings that held countless paper lanterns, criss-crossing over the sky. Someone had even gone to the trouble of painting them with their jolly roger, and the blue symbol shone brightly on all of them.

Chew had managed to find several crates full of Arlong's favorite whiskey in Goza, and they were spread about the walkways, encouraging all to drink. Hachi had spent the last few days hunting the seas with the Sea Kings, rounding up enough fish to feed an army.

Arlong never took his nakama for granted, but it was hard to not appreciate their efforts today.

The party was expected to last well into the night, and nearly everyone was there. The air was full of laughter and glee and it was so good that Arlong couldn't help but marvel at it all. _This_ was what he wanted for his people. Fun and food and drink, without the slightest care that humans might hurt them. They could live in peace, and party after a hard day's work without a worry. They were prosperous and safe. They belonged on the surface, under the starry night sky, drinking and reveling in life.

Arlong couldn't ask for more.

Surprisingly, Hachi had disappeared not long before the party. It was odd, but Hachi had been in a good mood ever since he left Aria's, so Arlong didn't worry about it much. Hachi would turn up eventually.

When Hachi did, Arlong was thrown for a loop. Arlong hadn't expected the hermit to show up, nor for Hachi to go get her. Aria walked beside Hachi in a cute little dress, with her nails painted and her hair braided, and Arlong was more than a little caught off guard.

"So that's where you've been, Hachi-nii. Rounding up our little hermit." Arlong greeted, a grin on his face.

"Aria-chan decided to hang out with us tonight!" Hachi said, his own grin matching Arlong's.

"It sounded like it could be fun." Aria admitted, and even though she had a haughty smirk on her face, Arlong saw her nervously playing with the simple bracelet she wore.

"We'll make you a proper pirate before long." Arlong promised, clapping Aria's shoulder amicably.

Aria gave an amused scoff. "With lots of partying and drinking, I expect?"

"Of course, nyuu! That's the best part of being a pirate." Hachi laughed.

"Bah, you just don't have a good appreciation for treasure." Arlong groused, crossing his arms. His grin never faltered, even as Hachi laughed at him.

Aria watched as Hachi and Arlong traded friendly insults, amused.

Beside Arlong, Kuroobi stood nearby, looking pleased. He gave Aria a thin smile, before returning his attention to their captain. Kuroobi was as social as her at parties, but he was content to just stand with his friends, offering the occasional quip or smirk.

Chew gave her a nod before returning his attention to Kakuzu, the two locked into a conversation of their own. From the sounds of it, Chew had lent Kakuzu some mystery novels to read, and Kakuzu was getting close to the good parts.

Now that everyone was distracted, Aria entertained the idea of slipping into the corner. She had made her entrance. Aria wasn't really all that eager to socialize. Nervousness flitted through her mind at inopportune times, and despite the fact that she had agreed to this, it wasn't without a small inkling of dread in the back of her mind. Thankfully, now that she had greeted the officers and Arlong, they seemed to be giving her the usual wide berth. Despite the fact that she'd fought and celebrated with the crew, the fishmen still didn't know how to approach her.

"Aria-chan, try this." Aria was broken out of her thoughts by Arlong handing her a small glass full of amber liquid. He grinned eagerly at her, and Aria recalled the last time she'd accepted a drink at one of these parties. Arlong must have noticed her discomfort, because he clapped her on the shoulder again. "As long as you don't wander off you'll be fine to drink it all. It shouldn't knock you on your ass or anything!"

Aria tilted her head as she examined the drink. Well, she knew what Arlong's parties were about. She couldn't really call herself surprised that he'd wind up giving her more alcohol. Tentatively, she took a sip. It was a completely different taste than what she had last time, though thankfully there was a strong cinnamon aroma to it. It hid the alcohol taste well. "It's not awful." Aria admitted, causing Arlong to burst out into laughter.

"Honestly, we really are going to have to broaden your horizons, hermit! Shahahaha!"

Aria felt flustered. Alcohol had never really been interesting to her, even when she spent most of her time studying at a bar. She'd had more important things to do than drink, and more important things to spend her money on. It wasn't like she meant to be sheltered, but her studious habits had probably caused her to be very naive about more than one subject.

Now that she was with a group of friends that liked to indulge, Aria found herself wishing she had experimented a bit more than her initial test run.

"Don't worry, Arlong-san, I'll make sure to catch her up to speed." Hachi promised. Aria wondered if she should feel nervous about that. "We bought lots of stuff for tonight, so there will be lots of mixed drinks for you to try, Aria-chan!"

Kuroobi shook his head in amusement. "Just make sure she's sober enough not to run off again."

"I didn't run off." Aria protested, even though she knew that was definitely what she intended to do last time. Run off and hide away from all the loud partying, so that she could take a nap. How did Kuroobi know about that, anyway? Aria was going to be irritated if Arlong told him. Kuroobi was paranoid about her enough. "I just wanted to find somewhere quiet."

"And then Arlong found you passed out drunk in a chair." Kuroobi's lips quirked into a ghost of a smile, and Aria could tell he was teasing her.

"Augh. Shut up." Aria felt her face heating up, and she took a drink to hide her flustered face. It didn't seem to work in the slightest, as Kuroobi, Hachi, and Arlong all laughed at her. "You're a menace." Aria grumbled at Arlong, causing him to laugh harder.

Arlong clapped her back a few times. "I doubt even a cannon ball could have woken you up, you know!"

Aria considered blowing up something. Or maybe she could just go back home. Anything would be better than these idiots teasing her about the last time she drank.

"Don't worry about it, Aria-chan, we'll keep a better eye on you this time." Hachi promised.

"Oh, lovely." Aria drawled. That meant she wouldn't be able to seclude herself.

Arlong shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone called for him across the room. He excused himself, and Kuroobi trailed after him. Chew and Kakuzu remained locked in their conversation.

"Hey, Aria-chan, let's go get some food in you. Drinking on an empty stomach isn't a good idea, nyuu." Hachi suggested. Aria nodded, and followed after Hachi. Food sounded amazing, especially since everything smelled so good. Aria hadn't eaten much earlier, her stomach full of knots, and her stomach growled hungrily.

Hachi made her up a small plate, explaining everything on it. There were a lot of appetizers, but they were all fishmen food. Aria had no idea how to eat most of it, and so she was thankful for Hachi's explanations. Most of it was shellfish, something that was completely alien to Aria. Hachi made her a big pile of shrimps and scallops, and Aria quickly learned that she liked those a lot.

Hachi and Aria snacked and drank, and Aria slowly loosened up as she watched everyone have a good time. This wasn't so bad, was it? It was loud, sure, and there were so many people. But everyone was happy and enjoying themselves, chatting and eating and drinking. Aria found that she was happy to have come, even though it was still so overwhelming.

Everything changed when Arlong stood in the center of everyone, and declared a toast.

"Men, join me in a drink!"

"Those who have chosen to follow me after our split with the Sun Pirates and Jinbe, do you regret it?"

A deafening cheer of "no" shook the room.

Arlong's grin spread impossibly wide.

"Good! We're just getting started, after all. We have built our first foothold on the surface, and created a place where we belong."

"The humans in the area are no match for our God-given gifts. We can crush them effortlessly. Our strength vastly outranks theirs, and they know it. Their ships, their marines, the very land itself is no match for us!"

"We may have just started building our empire with Conomi and Mata Nui, but soon all of these pitiful humans will bow to the mighty fishmen!" Arlong preached. Aria covered her expression with her cup, taking a slow slip of the whiskey. It wasn't like she couldn't see where Arlong was coming from, after hearing how human nobles took fishmen as slaves and how humans considered fishmen uncivilized. But it hurt her human pride to hear him talk like that. When he spoke like that it was hard for her not to feel like he wasn't directly targeting her.

Aria didn't like half assing things, and she was determined to become committed as a nakama, but she was sure that Arlong spreading such sentiments would hinder her progress. She watched as Kuroobi and Chew and Hachi cheered eagerly with the crowd.

And there was the little problem of her minor affections towards him. She intended to smoosh them, snuff them out so that they wouldn't interfere with her business with Arlong. Hearing him talk like this about her race only solidified her intention to get rid of them, and helped remind herself that he wouldn't feel the same no matter how close they became. Where before she had felt happy to be here, now there was some unnamed feeling in her chest.

She sighed deeply, grateful to be on the edge of the crowd, and moved to the corner of the room to observe. Acceptance wouldn't be gained through a single party she reminded herself, if at all. It was going to be slow going.

Arlong noticed how Aria separated herself from the main party after his speech. He frowned to himself, once again remembering Nami's words from when Chew had been bullying her. _You'll all hate me no matter what, so does it matter?_ Arlong knew his words set her on edge, and he grit his teeth.

Alienating Aria wouldn't be a smart move, and yet Arlong had no idea how to bring her closer. He wanted her loyal and to be a true sibling of his crew some day. Considering her nature, it would be difficult. And after Mata Nui, it was probably a blessing in itself that she didn't despise him openly. Arlong needed to reign her in, and ensure that she wouldn't feel slighted like this next time.

He'd figure out a solution to that later. For now, he'd just be grateful for the small steps she had taken. Aria had really surprised him, showing up today. Hachi no doubt had a hand in it, as Arlong knew no one else would have thought to tell her about the party. But even if she had come at Hachi's insistence, Arlong was pleased she even came at all. The hermit truly intended to become their nakama, albeit at her own pace.

She had gotten herself all dolled up, too. That certainly preened his ego.

"Let's have a drinking contest!" Kurayami cheered. The resounding roar of the other men shook Arlong from his thoughts, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"Oh? Shouldn't I win by default?" Arlong crowed.

"Bah, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean we're gonna go easy on you. In fact, we should go even harder instead." Dresden cackled.

"We should get a prize if we out drink the birthday boy, aye?" Gajeel suggested. The men around him all voiced their approval.

Arlong scoffed. "Are you all issuing a fucking challenge to me?"

"It certainly sounds like it." Aria said, sitting down in a lawn chair that Chew had taken from Goza. She wouldn't miss these idiots getting shitfaced if she could help it. She was still safely on the edge of the crowd, but her voice cut through easily.

"Ohh, Aria should join!" Gajeel teased.

Aria smirked. "No, I'm just here to watch." Despite her words, her glass was mostly empty already.

Arlong cackled. "Aria couldn't hold her liquor well enough to outlast Touya." Aria's lips pursed, but she didn't doubt it was true.

Touya frowned. "Why am I a unit of measurement?"

"Because you're a lightweight." Chew supplied, although he patted Touya's back in consolation. Touya sulked into his glass.

"Well if there's a prize involved, I'm game." Kuroobi said. The rest of the crew seemed stunned for a moment, as Kuroobi didn't drink too often or too hard, before erupting into a sea of cheers and laughter.

"Well if Kuroobi is stepping up, clearly I ought to enter, nyuu."

"Likewise. It'll be a battle with all the officers, chuu." Chew grinned, though his cheeks were already pretty flushed with alcohol.

"You all haven't even decided what the prize will be." Aria murmured into her glass.

Gajeel, never one to let her make a sarcastic comment without retribution, grinned as he announced his ideal prize. "Winner gets to make the hermit die of embarrassment, with one kiss on the cheek."

Aria could feel her ears burning. "I don't agree to this at all!"

The crew cackled at her flushing face, and Aria was sorely tempted to just dissolve into nothing and just leave. Perhaps she could just go dive into the ocean? That would certainly be a preferable outcome to being a prize for these perverts.

"I'd rather there not be any bloodshed involved in this." Arlong snickered. "Find something better."

Aria flushed even harder as she realized that Arlong could have been a winner. She set her glass down with a huff and crossed her arms.

"How about 10% of the treasure from our next raid?" Kurayami suggested.

"Like hell I'd give up that much." Arlong grumbled, but Kuroobi elbowed him in the stomach. Aria lips quirked into a smirk for as fraction of a second at the indignant noise Arlong made. "Fine, fine, 10% of the treasure."

The pirates cheered excitedly.

Aria watched in equal parts interest and horror as the crew very quickly became shitfaced.

Arlong gave up surprisingly quick, but he had been drinking for most of the day. He was content to watch the rest of the crew make fools of themselves, which gave him the opportunity to spot Hachi giving Nami a drink. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Hachi do this, and it wasn't like Arlong hadn't had his first taste around that age, but it didn't sit well with him.

He frowned as he watched Nami drink it easily, but before he could react further, Kurayami

cheered loudly as he slammed his glass into the table, shattering the wood. Several men yelped in surprise, and Aria cursed as she just narrowly avoided being skewered by a table leg.

"Hey, hey, calm down, Kurayami."

"I'm in the lead!"

"Not for long!"

Arlong sighed in exasperation, but he didn't miss how Aria hid her amused grin behind her hand.

Chew and Kuroobi wound up in a drunken heap on the floor, not long after. Kurayami and Borze were neck-and-neck, and there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Everyone else had either called it quits or was so far behind that the only way they'd catch up was if both of the leading two passed out for a half hour.

Hachi was proving himself to be a bad influence on everyone today, because he had already gotten Touya piss-drunk (to the point that Touya was currently playing fetch with Momoo), and now Hachi was encouraging Aria to try a bunch of things. Admittedly, he had at least started out with food for Aria again, until he remembered the hermit had the drinking experience of... a sheltered hermit. Now he was trying to give Aria a crash course in mixology.

"Okay, okay, try this one, nyuu!" Hachi said, mixing some fruit juice together with rum and vodka. He shook them together with such energy that Aria was concerned that they might fly out of his many hands.

"Another?" Aria asked, completely exasperated. She hadn't minded the first few things Hachi had made her try, because a lot of it had been fishmen food that she had never experienced before. But this was a bit much. "How do you even know how to make all these drinks?"

"Oh, I learned from Arlong-san!" Hachi said, easily. "He worked as a bartender for a long time before we became pirates!"

"Whaaat?" Aria's brows knitted together as she tried to imagine Arlong of all people as a bartender. The only bartenders Aria had known as a child tended to wear lots of makeup and clothes that accentuated their assets so that they'd get lots of tips. Then again, Arlong certainly wasn't afraid to flaunt his bare chest around… "Was he good at it?"

"Oh yeah!" Hachi said, putting his concoction down in front of her. He grabbed some clean cups and poured Aria her own sample. The liquid looked pretty. "He had to be, nyuu. It was a really popular place!"

Aria's eyes flitted over to the birthday boy, who was currently cackling in his favorite chair as Touya was picked up by Momoo and tossed over the wall towards the sea. Touya had been teasing Momoo too much. Aria took a tentative sip of Hachi's drink while she watched the ensuing squabble between the drunken Touya and the fed-up Sea King in amusement. "Ah, it's good!"

"Hehe, I figured you'd like it. It was one of Arlong's most popular drinks."

"Hmm. He's really a talented guy, huh?"

Hachi nodded. "I couldn't ask for a better nakama, honestly."

* * *

Nami returned to her room, dinner and drink in hand. She was grateful for Hachi's insistence that she grab something to eat at the party, because her stomach hadn't stopped growling since she smelled the delicious aromas.

She hadn't had much to eat earlier in the day, forgoing breakfast and lunch so that she could avoid going to the cafeteria and be glared at by the fishmen or be pestered with questions. Hachi had been too busy to bring her lunch, helping prepare for the party. He apologized profusely, and had even given her some alcohol so that she'd forgive him. Nami would have forgiven him no matter what, as Hachi was impossible to stay mad at. Not that she minded his gift.

Nami climbed into her chair, and slowly picked at her food. She didn't want to eat so fast that her stomach would upset, even though she was so hungry that it was already hurting. She looked at her day's progress, and was unable to contain a smile. Even though she had worked herself to death, it had been worth it. In a few days, she would be entirely caught up with Arlong's workload, and he had promised to let her have another day off soon. Nami desperately wanted to see her sister and her childhood home.

She also wanted to see Bellemere's face again. She was starting to forget the smaller nuances of it. That hurt more than anything. She wished they had enough money so they could have taken more pictures together. Nami left the only picture of Bellemere at the house, for safekeeping. She had come back to her room before and found things broken or picked through, and Nami had begun to hide anything with sentimental value between her mattress and the bedframe.

Nami sipped at the cup of booze Hachi had given her. It washed down the salty fish she had been eating nicely, and left a pleasant feeling in her stomach. She wondered if Kuroobi would be available to train her tonight, or if he would be partying with the rest of them. Usually he left the parties pretty early, but Nami had caught him drinking as aggressively as the others tonight.

"I'll probably have to wait until tomorrow…" Nami sighed. "Stupid pirates and their partying." She muttered to herself, although she couldn't bring herself to feel malicious about it.

She had much more freedom to roam around, if they were too busy getting drunk off their asses. During previous celebrations, Nami had managed to map most of Arlong Park. There were only a few areas she didn't know about, and that was because they were locked. Nami even knew how Aria's lab was kept. Some nights, Nami had even managed to sneak off into town and visit Bellemere's grave for a little while. She couldn't say she really minded the constant partying, if it allowed her so much freedom.

Nami finished off the last of her shrimp shish kabobs, and licked her lips. Should she wander around tonight, or should she stick around? Nami didn't think she would get traction from exploring Arlong Park until she was better at picking locks, but maybe she could go to Goza or one of the other towns and practice her thievery. She knew she needed to get better at that fast. The last time she had tried to pickpocket a pirate resupplying at Goza, the pirate had noticed, and she had been lucky that they had just tossed her into the ocean after taking all she had on her. It could have been much worse.

She needed to get better at _everything_. Pickpocketing, sneaking, lockpicking, fighting...Nami had been working with Arlong for two and a half months now, and all she had managed to hoard was a measly 8,000 berries. That wasn't even enough to take back home to hide.

"Maybe instead of visiting Nojiko I should go to Goza instead…" Nami considered. "Or maybe Arlong would let me go to Cinnabar with him?" Nami shook her head, instantly dismissing the thought. It was bad enough _hearing_ about what they did to other islands. Her stomach had twisted and nearly revolted when she had heard what Aria had done at Mata Nui. Seeing it personally? Nami would most definitely vomit.

Perhaps she should just stay here for the night. Drink some more booze. Nami needed _something_ to keep the thoughts of Aria killing little kids like her out of her head. She downed the rest of her cup, but she didn't feel any better. She scoffed at it.

Whenever Bellemere and Genzo had drank, they always had so much fun together. It had made Nami curious to try the stuff, but Genzo had always said she was too young. Nami remembered getting upset and storming off on more than one occasion, and when she came back, Bellemere had teased her for only proving their point.

Nami wished she would have as much fun when she drank. Instead, she only felt numb. Nami didn't know if she should consider that a bad thing or not.

She snuck downstairs with her dirty plate and her empty cup, avoiding the men who were leaving the party with a practised ease. They were either too sloshed to notice her, or too caught up in their conversation. Laughter followed them, echoing through the empty halls, and Nami had to wonder why she couldn't get booze to work like that for her. Maybe she was too young, like Genzo had said.

She was getting tired, though. Maybe she shouldn't have drunk it all so fast.

Nami crept into the kitchen, mildly surprised that it was empty, and set her dirty dishes with a pile of them. Whoever was on dish duty was going to be here all night, judging by the size of it.

Nami went to the stairwell, eager to climb into bed. It was a good thing she had gotten so much work done before eating, she mused. If she hadn't, she would have slept the rest of the day away. Nami waited for a group of fishmen to pass, hiding in the shadows so that they wouldn't notice her. She almost started to follow after them, but she heard Arlong's tell-tale laugh, and ducked back into her hiding place. Arlong was irritating sober, but when he was drunk he tended to muss up her hair and taunt her even more. Nami would rather avoid him.

Nami's nose wrinkled when she caught sight of him. He'd been in another drinking contest, hadn't he? Then Nami caught sight of who was trailing after him, and she covered her mouth so her curse wouldn't be audible. Aria was here, a drunken smirk on her face as she followed after Arlong. She looked pretty, with a blue dress on and her hair plaited, and Nami couldn't help but narrow her eyes. Why did Aria dress up? Why was she following Arlong upstairs?

Nami didn't want to think too hard about that. She forced herself not to, her stomach twisting. Arlong was probably just showing Aria to a guest bedroom or something. That had to be it. Aria was only here because someone had made her come, probably. There was no other reason.

Nami clenched her hands as anger coursed through her veins. That damn Arlong kept manipulating Aria. Nami had warned her not to become like the pirates, but...it hadn't worked. Not in the slightest.

Aria was going to be a bad person. There was nothing Nami could do to stop it.

Nami choked back an angry sob, unable to keep the tears falling. She stomped up the stairs, not bothering to hide her presence in her rage. That sight had settled it. Tonight, Nami would go to Goza. Nami couldn't stop Aria from becoming Arlong's pawn. But she _could_ save her town.

* * *

Aria drunkenly trudged behind Arlong up the stairs, miraculously keeping her balance thanks to her death grip on the railings. A panic went through Arlong as he remembered that Aria hadn't seen what he'd done with her stuff. Arlong suddenly remembered how touchy Aria had been when he had snooped through her things before, and how angry she had been when he had taken her books for Nami. He grimaced, but the alcohol was making him feel sluggish, and it wasn't as if he could tell Aria to go home now that she was heading up to his bed.

Earlier that week, Arlong remembered that she had dropped clothes off with that teenaged tailor boy. They were most likely mended and altered to perfection, and having nothing better to do that day, Arlong had waltzed into the teeny ma-and-pa shop and picked them up. There was a lot of stuttering and muffled protests from the mother, and the son looked absolutely enraged, but all Arlong had to do was flash his teeth in a mirthless smile and the goods were in his possession.

Arlong originally intended to shove Aria's things into a guest room like he'd done after Nami had sworn her allegiance to the Arlong Pirates. But it had been nice, sleeping next to someone soft and pleasantly scented, instead of being crammed together with a bunch of rowdy and disgusting human prisoners that smelled like sweat and feces and piss. Even if Aria was human, having a woman in his bed was a luxury after the disgusting conditions of Impel Down. He still couldn't find it in himself to purge his room of any of her lingering fragrance, either, so he decided he would rather have her stay in his suite than elsewhere in the tower. He wouldn't deny the selfishness of his decision, nor the base feelings it inspired in him. Arlong was too self-aware for petty shit like that, no matter how much those realizations pissed him off.

When he tried sorting them into his own dresser, Arlong realized a number of problems. Between the two of them, they had far too many clothes for the drawers that already protested closing. Not to mention she would find things he had stolen from her. Tossing them on top wouldn't work, as then Arlong would have to stare at the fitted sleepwear and dresses and coats when he came home. And he couldn't just shove her undergarments in a drawer with his own, because Arlong knew he would forget they were there and have to deal with unfortunate images as he got dressed in the morning. They couldn't go in the en suite's vanity drawers, either, because everything in the bathroom already had a place and a system and Arlong didn't really want to go looking for his toothbrush only to be assaulted by panties. He knew far too much about what Aria wore under her clothes for his own good now.

Grumbling the entire way, Arlong went back into town to get Aria her own dresser, just so all her shit could be neatly tucked away. He had easily deflected his crew's questions about it by saying he wanted to store more clothes. It had been a bitch to assemble, but Arlong felt like it was worth it. Arlong stacked all of Aria's knick knacks on top of it, mostly stationary supplies and books and nail polish, and felt very pleased with himself until he came back later and Aria's scent had been overtaken by the cut wood smell. That had pissed him off, and he found himself hating the stupid dresser. Now that Arlong remembered there was the potential for Aria to get upset about it, he felt both hatred and anxiety about the obnoxious wooden dresser.

Arlong followed Aria into his room, lagging behind nervously. As they took off their shoes, Aria glanced over to the new addition to his room, and Arlong grimaced at the curiosity. Clearly she was going to note that her things were on top of it, and she would investigate what was there. Therefore, he needed to influence it as a positive as much as possible before she was left to stew too much.

"Oh, yeah, I put all the shit you'd left in that thing. And I picked up the stuff you'd left with that brat. Figured you'd want it." Arlong said nonchalantly, his facade not betraying a single hint of his worry. Aria eyed him curiously, before approaching the dresser. She reached out to touch it, tentatively, and Arlong had to resist jerking his head away. Aria regarded the dresser like she had his tattooed arm, with a thoughtful, solemn frown and delicate touches, and it seemed like she was appraising it. Then she smirked, looking completely smug as she opened the drawer and found her belongings inside, and Arlong found that he could breath again.

Aria dug through her new dresser, feeling slightly amused about its existence. Arlong had really gone out and bought it just for her things? She had assumed he would have just tossed her into a guest bedroom after she passed her initiation and made a basis for his budding trust in her. The fact that he had instead welcomed her to stay in his suite when she visited made her happy for some strange reason.

Aria brushed the feeling aside, trying to tell herself it was just because it reminded her of long deep-winter nights curled against her sister for warmth, and instead focused on the fact that Arlong had also fetched her clothing from the tailor. Did he actually pay for it, or did he intend to stick her with the bill? Would the family that run the store even want to try and force the bill on her if Arlong intimidated them into giving him the clothes? Her clothing that included some lacy underwear that had needed more detailed repairs than Aria could do herself. The thought of Arlong, her new _captain_ , even seeing those made her feel embarrassed.

Uhg.

Aria grabbed the closest thing to sleepwear she could find and slipped into the bathroom, trying not to curse at her terrible considerations out loud. She was surprised to find that the toothbrush she had left a few weeks ago was still there, neatly tucked into the corner of the vanity's mirror. And her soaps were approximately where she'd left them on the rim of the tub, too. It was strange, to see her stuff untouched, when she had expected it to be tossed into a corner somewhere and forgotten about or even thrown in the trash. Instead, Arlong had just moved his own things around hers or put them where he thought they ought to be.

It was unusual. Whenever she had roomed with people from Aqua Atlus, they had just tossed her possessions or treated them like they were in the way. Even those who had been friendly towards her held little regard for her stuff, or nagged her for leaving them in their way. Did Arlong leave them where they were because he didn't want to deal with her anger? No, he didn't seem to treat her anger as something to worry about. If anything, he just wanted to pacify her enough that she would move on or he would get just as angry.

With a sigh, Aria changed and brushed her teeth, grateful to wash the taste of the alcohol out of her mouth. It had been slightly more tolerable of a taste this time, but it was going to take some getting use to. Hachi's samples had helped, but her last helping of whiskey had overpowered all of those flavors. The burning that the whiskey had left in the back of her throat made her sure that she prefered the sangria from before. Perhaps she could ask Arlong to have that for her next time.

Aria stepped out of the bathroom and Arlong took her place. He hadn't known she was going to choose _that_ to sleep in, so he was grateful for the moment to compose himself. Fishmen were superior to humans in every regard, especially self-control, Arlong told himself. So the fact that the hermit was wearing a silky plum chemise with black lace trim was nothing to worry about. When she had stayed before, she had always worn her everyday clothes to sleep, as if she was planning on running the first chance she got. Arlong took the fact that she had changed into something more comfortable as a sign she was truly beginning to trust him. He kind of wished she didn't.

"Thank you. For the dresser." Aria said when Arlong emerged from the bathroom, standing near the door like she'd been waiting for him. She smiled sweetly at him as she spoke. It caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly.

"Of course. I couldn't just leave your lingerie lying about." Arlong replied, tone dry. Aria flushed at his teasing.

"I suppose not." She smirked as a thought came to her, her eyes lighting up mischievously. "I'm sure Nami would just die at the implications."

Arlong snickered. "Oh, she most definitely would." Arlong was sure he wouldn't hear the end of that. Nami had been the only one who had protested to Arlong keeping Aria's stuff in his room still. Admittedly, the only other person who cared was Kuroobi, and he had been in favor of the idea so long as Arlong kept on his Sea-Stone ring.

At the mental reminder, Arlong began removing his jewelry as he usually did, but he paused at the ring that would strip Aria of her powers. She was beginning to trust him, wasn't she? She had proven to be quite willing to do his bidding, and hadn't made any moves to betray them. Arlong couldn't trust her enough to take the ring off just yet. Not when she still hadn't proven herself as nakama yet. But would he, eventually?

Arlong glanced over at Aria, who had crawled into bed and laid down, for once not facing the window. She had somehow produced a book out of nowhere and was reading it, squinting in the poor lighting. It wasn't hard to see their differences in species, even when she wasn't facing him. She was small and frail, her body not even half as wide as he, and barely coming up to his pectoral at her full height. But she had advantages that other humans didn't. It wasn't hard to recall Mata Nui, even though it had been nearly a month. How she had so easily demolished that child. It was something unique to her, something that made her stand out against the tide of pitiful, weak humans. She had done it at his command, more readily than any of the pitiful marines Arlong had ordered about, and it had been jaw-dropping.

Aria was cunning and thoughtful. She was full of pride and ire and icy walls. She knew her limits and her boundaries and what would hurt her. But she would let down her walls around him. She would play her violin while he played piano, and she would apologize to him, and she would come to him when she would have nightmares and couldn't sleep. She wasn't entirely harsh, though he certainly would have preferred a softer, more docile subordinate.

Aria glanced up from her book, meeting his eyes. "Arlong? You gonna sleep?" Her words were a bit slurred, and Arlong couldn't tell if it was from alcohol or exhaustion, but she blinked at him slowly with a small, dopey smile on her face. Nah. She was soft enough.

He didn't trust her enough yet. But he could see that he might.

"Yeah."

He left his ring on, letting it brush against Aria's bare arm as he laid down beside her. Arlong heard her uncomfortable whine, and he tried to ignore the twinge of surprise and the way his ego swelled he felt when instead of moving away she only moved closer.

Aria stretched, lithe and catlike, and decided she was done reading for now. She set the book on the wooden ledge at the top of the bed, and nestled into him, her nose brushing up against his collarbone. He didn't know if it was the alcohol or how far into the night it was that allowed Aria to lower her guard so much around him now. Lace tickled his side, and her feminine scent filled his nose, and the sound of her gentle breathing soothed his ears and breezed against his skin.

Arlong knew he was selfish for it, but he was glad to hoard her things in his suite so long as he could keep a woman in his bed. It was a luxury he didn't intend to give up anytime soon. After all, if it felt good, smelled good, it ought to be his, right? For he would be the emperor of this sea before long, and he'd be damned if he had to give up the smallest of prizes any more. He'd sacrificed enough.

There was only two weeks or so until they'd venture off to his next conquest, Arlong remembered. He closed his eyes as he imagined the delicious feeling of conquering, of filling his pockets with berries, of putting humans down into their rightful place.

* * *

Goza was a very populated port town. It had twice the citizens of Cocoyashi, and it was the biggest town on the archipelago. It's port was a well-known center of trade for this section of the sea, and ships were constantly coming and going. Merchants knew they could fetch a good price in Goza's markets, and some would even travel from the other side of the island just to set up shop. The town of Goza turned a pretty profit.

Arlong had mercilessly sunk all of the ships owned by Goza's citizens. He kept strict tabs on whoever left the island for trade, and for how long they were gone. Too long, and he would send someone after them. One person had already tried to run away, and their decaying skull was still on display, guarded by the fishmen who patrolled the town and kept an eye on the port. The eyes and the flesh had mostly been picked clean by crows, and the hair had been pulled by other birds for nesting purposes, but they still refused to take it down. It was a warning.

Nami wondered if Aria knew about this.

Probably not.

Nami had good memories of Goza. There was the annual festival held during autumn, and she had fond memories of wearing Nojiko's hand-me-down kimono during it. Nami would wander the stalls, clenching her sister's hand as she admired everything in awe. Everything looked so delicious, and the aroma of all the extravagant food always made her stomach growl. She always wanted to try the cotton candy, but it was far too expensive. Maybe Arlong would give her some money…?

Nami shook her head, frustrated with the thought. Even Goza wouldn't be happy to accept her blood money.

Now, Goza seemed a bit more listless. People wore fake smiles, and kept a closer eye on their belongings. With Arlong's tribute money taken recently, everyone was hurting for money. Crime was on the rise. The last time she had visited, Nami overheard a few visiting merchants complaining about their supplies being stolen. Nami would bet all of her earnings that there were even more reports of that now.

Not that she was going to make their lives any easier.

Nami slunk through the back-allies, not wanting to be seen by anyone who could identify her. The alcohol she'd drunk was already wearing off. Nami was grateful. She wouldn't want to be stumbling around and get caught.

The docks were far into town, and were guarded by a rotating group of fishmen. As Nami waited and watched, she saw that there were less than last time. Nami nearly broke out into a grin when she noticed who was on guard. Rinka and Roe were patrolling tonight.

Roe was a lanternshark type fishman. He had near-black skin, sea green eyes, dark curly hair, and was almost as broad-shouldered as Arlong despite not being nearly as tall. He was also as friendly as Hachi, although definitely smarter. He always seemed to be dressed in only bermuda shorts and displayed his two jolly rogers on his neck proudly.

Rinka was a arowana type fishwoman. She was the only fishwoman on Arlong's crew, and Nami had her pegged as the strong, silent type. She didn't talk much, but her face was very expressive. Her skin transitioned from green to orange to red, giving her a very elegant appearance, and she kept her long green hair braided back and out of her face. Nami had never seen her without her trident. Rinka was fond of long pants and crop tops, and tonight was no exception.

The two of them were on guard the last time Nami had gone thieving. Roe had given Nami some tips on good targets, and Rinka had kept an eye out for her. Despite being Arlong's lackeys, Nami trusted them as much as she did Hachi. They hadn't mentioned her escapades to Arlong or Kuroobi at all.

Nami was feeling a bit petulant, and despite the fact she knew they would help her she wanted to do things by her lonesome this time. She needed the practice, anyway.

There were several ships to choose from, but only one of them had a jolly roger flag flying. Pirates were allowed to dock peacefully at Goza, so long as they kept their mouth shut and didn't start any trouble. Further proving her belief that pirates were all garbage, all the pirates to pass through had been more than happy to turn a blind eye to Arlong's iron grip on Goza. Just as long as they got a little coin in return.

Nami didn't recognize the jolly roger from the bounties she had sifted through, and a quick glance through Nami's monocular showed that their crow's nest appeared empty. No one was on guard on deck. Nami contemplated what that meant. Either it was such an understaffed ship that they couldn't spare anyone for a night watch, or they were overconfident in their abilities.

It would make her job easy.

Nami slowly made her way across the port, avoiding Rinka and Roe's paths and keeping an eye out for anyone else who would hinder her. Normally, Nami would curse her height during training, but her small stature made it easier to hide as she waited. It took her nearly twenty minutes before she reached the ship's pier, and Nami's heart hadn't stopped beating harshly in her apprehension. She chewed at her lip nervously, wondering how she was going to scale the ship's hull.

Nearby, there was some discarded rope. As long as she had a reasonable counterweight, she realized she could toss that over the ship's railings. Then she could climb up. Nami searched around for a good while, looking for an anchor or sandbag. One of the smaller boats had a heavy metal stool, and Nami lugged it over before cursing in realization. How was she going to throw something close to her bodyweight over the railing without making a bunch of noise?

Nami wracked her brains for an idea.

"Yo, Nacchan. What are you up to at this time of night?" Asked a rough voice. Nami nearly jumped out of her skin, and spun around to face the speaker. Her heart soared in relief when she realized it was just Roe, before it quickly sunk. Dammit, she hadn't been paying enough attention. If he had been a bad guy, she would have been in trouble.

She got as close to the fishman as possible, so her voice wouldn't carry up to her target. "Trying to practice my thievery again." Nami whispered.

Roe grinned at her widely. "Oh? Need a hand, then?"

Nami nodded reluctantly. Roe's grin grew mischievous, and that was all the warning Nami had before he grabbed the back of her shirt and gave her a one-handed toss into the air. It took all of Nami's strength to not yelp as she flew up to the railing, and she grabbed it like a lifeline.

She glowered at Roe after she managed to touch her feet to the deck, wishing she could yell at him, but he pressed a finger to his lip in an amused shushing expression. Then he gave her a thumbs up and wandered off. Nami sighed in exasperation, and glanced around. There was still no movement, and she couldn't hear anyone either.

Nami couldn't trust that the crow's nest was empty, so she slowly climbed up to check. It was windy, and the breeze threatened to blow her right off the ladder. At least it was a warm breeze. Finally, Nami made it to the top, and she peeked the top of her head over the railing. It was empty. Nami breathed a sigh of relief, and glanced around from her new vantage point.

 _Wow_. Goza looked so much _bigger_ from up here. There were several streets and buildings that Nami didn't even know existed.

The port seemed so much bigger, too, now that she could see all of the ships at once. The ocean water was black in the night, and lapped at the ships' hulls. The horizon stretched out over the ocean, and the moonlight danced on the waves. Everything felt...right. Like she belonged up on that ladder, glancing over the ocean in the dead of night. Nami let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and glanced down at the deck.

 _Oh_. She had climbed up a lot higher than she expected. Her stomach fluttered as she thought about what it would be like to fall from that height. How much of a thud she would make, and how many bones she would break. Anxiously, she climbed down, bristling at each gust of wind that tried to send her off. She didn't feel relief until her foot touched the wooden deck.

Nami licked her lips and balled her fists. Her hands were sweaty, and she could feel her shirt sticking to her back. So there hadn't been a night watch. With luck, that meant they were too understaffed. Nami slowly inched her way towards the cabin, keeping her steps light as she was wary of making even the slightest of creaks. It was a small galley ship, and she didn't doubt that the sound would carry.

She peered into the windows, and didn't see anyone inside. Cautiously, Nami opened the door just wide enough for her to slip into the cabin. She shut the door gently, and glanced around the room for any valuables. There were a few knick knacks, but nothing of interest. Nami frowned. She'd have to go down into the ship. She spied a ladder that went down, but...her breath hitched. She didn't want to get trapped down there, not with more pirates. If they found her, she'd get hurt. There was no doubt about that. They might even kill her.

Nami welled up her courage, and went down anyway. She couldn't afford to go back empty-handed just because she was _scared_. It was pitch black, with not even any candlelights to help Nami navigate the unfamiliar ship. Nami inched forward, her hands reaching for anything solid to guide her feet. She touched a wall to her left, and then waited for her eyes to adjust. It took several long moments, and Nami was so afraid that her pounding heart would give her position away. Nami whimpered as sweat dripped down her face and hit the floor, with what sounded like a deafening splat.

No one emerged from any of the doors she could now see. Tension seeped out of Nami's shoulders, just a bit. She moved forward.

Each of the doors had a small porthole, but Nami was too short to peer through them, even standing on her toes. Nami cursed her inability to check the rooms. She wouldn't be able to tell if someone was in a room or not.

Slowly, she pushed the closest door open, grateful that it wasn't creaky. She blinked a few times as she examined the room's contents. There didn't seem to be anything useful in here, as it mostly looked like storage. She tried the next room, moving as slowly and silently as she could, her heart pounding in her ears and every breath sounding like a hurricane.

She held her breath when she realized this room was occupied. There were only a couple men, sprawled out on the floor with several empty bottles. Nami had to keep herself from scoffing aloud. It looks like Arlong wasn't the only one holding a party tonight. Nami spied some nice jewelry on a table, but it was going to be very risky to get. A necklace hung right over a man's sleeping head, and Nami couldn't trust his rattling snores. Still, she couldn't go back empty handed.

With her mind full of nervous cursing, Nami slunk across the room, delicately stepping over splayed limbs and discarded bottles. It was agonizingly slow going, and Nami flinched at every noise from the men. After what felt like forever, Nami stood next to her prize. Not only was there a necklace that looked like it would fetch a pretty beli or two, but there were several golden rings and an ornate looking pocketwatch. Presumably, the man beside her took all of these off before he passed out in a drunken stupor. Despite his sloppy sleeping state, he was the most well-dressed, and Nami assumed he was the captain.

She would have to be extra careful to not wake him up.

Nami pocketed the jewelry with as much care as she could, not wanting the metals to clang together. There was a particularly tense moment when the captain's snoring stopped, right as Nami's hand hovered frozen above his necklace, but he merely flared his nostrils a few times before letting out another blubbering snore. Nami nearly sighed in relief, before remembering she had to stay quiet.

She snatched her prize, and then carefully made her way back to the hallway. She shut the door behind her, grateful when it slid into place quietly. She slumped against the door, and put a palm over her chest to ease her nerves. It didn't really work, but she hadn't expected it to.

There were a few more doors to check still. Nami's heart was elated at how well everything had gone so far. With luck, the majority of the men were in that room behind her.

The next room that Nami hit was the jackpot. Not only was it completely empty of pirates, it held several large chests that looked promising. Nami struggled to open them, the lids heavy. But inside was worth the effort, as Nami could spy the glittering of metal. She gleefully pulled out a bag and started shoveling handfuls of the chest's contents. These men must have come from Cinnabar, as the chest was full of steel and iron, formed into elegant and decorated bracelets, bangles, and ornaments. Nami's sack quickly grew heavy, but she knew that these were valuable. Even she could see the high-quality craftsmanship. The pirates probably intended to sell these up north at exorberant prices. That's what Nami intended to do with this haul, after all.

She rummaged through the other chests, and was a bit disappointed to find one was just full of vials of weird liquids, and the other was full of various supplies. She had been hoping to find some cash, at the very least. Nami considered going back to the room full of sleeping pirates. Perhaps she could pickpocket them? Nami discarded that idea when she heard the contents of her sack rubbing against each other. No, her haul was too noisy. She would check out the last two rooms, and call it a night.

She set her bag down outside the next room, so it wouldn't weigh her down. She was disappointed to find out that it was a small bathroom. Nami grimaced at how grimey it was. It was like the pirates had never heard of cleaning before. She closed the door, and found that the bathroom's odor was lingering in the hallway now. _Gross_.

Nami drug her bag towards the last door, and tentatively pushed it open. Her entire body froze as she locked eyes with a thin man, sitting in the dark.

"Wha…" Was all the man was able to get out, before Nami booked it. She slung her prizes over her shoulder, and absconded towards the ladder. Nami heard the man's chair scraping against the wooden floor as he stood up, and heard him trip over who knew what in his haste. Nami climbed up the ladder's rungs, a frantic rush of anxiety consuming her as she realized it was much harder to climb when her other hand was occupied.

Nami heard a door slam against the wall, and she cringed as she pulled herself into the kitchen.

"Merle, Maxie!" Nami heard the thin man shout. "We had an intruder! Get your drunk asses up!"

Nami swallowed, the thought of having several men after her sending a wave of nausea coursing through her. She needed to _run_.

Nami stood and fumbled with the door for a few moments, before it finally swung open. Just in time for a man to yell, "Hey! Where the _hell_ do you think yer goin'?!"

Nami didn't reply, too busy running across the deck. Her bag felt heavy, slamming against her back. Nami jolted as shots rang out against the silence, instinctively ducking as she ran towards the railings. A bullet grazed her, and Nami yelped. Several more shots followed, along with the sound of footfalls behind her. Nami didn't look back, not even as she hopped over the railing.

Nami landed roughly, her knees scraping as she skidded across the pier. Ohhh, it _burned_. All of her muscles protested movement, but Nami didn't want to stick around. The men were cursing loudly, sounding like they were right behind her, and Nami fled as fast as her legs would carry her. The only thing keeping her going was the fear of more pain, of being caught, of dying like Bellemere. She fled down the dock, rushing towards Goza.

Nami heard several loud thumps behind her, like heavier people landing on the dock. Nami swore. They were going to catch up with her…! Nami wouldn't let that happen.

Nami ran towards her goal, and she could almost see the port's exit, when she was tackled from behind. Nami's face slammed into wooden planks, and her arms were roughly pinned behind her back. "You little bitch…! Think you can steal from the Disco Pirates, do you?!" A man snarled, his grip tightening on Nami's arms so much that she cried out.

Dammit, this wasn't how this was supposed to go…! She struggled against the man, who laughed at her until she slammed the back of her head into his face. He howled angrily, letting go of her so that he could touch his broken nose. Nami scrambled away from him, just barely remembering to grab her treasure as she backed off.

The man looked at her hatefully, his eyes threatening violence, and Nami was afraid he was going to charge at her. She pushed herself up, standing that she could run. Her opponent did the same, towering over her. "You dumb kid…! I was just gonna beat you up a little, and make sure you'd never cross us again. But now I think I'll just kill you!"

Nami's breath hitched in fear. Then, the man stumbled forward, surprise on his face. Slowly, three points pooled into the fabric of his shirt. Nami took a step back, and the man collapsed. A trident stuck out of his back, and Rinka stood behind him, her grip letting go of her weapon.

"The Disco Pirates, huh?" Rinka muttered, her voice raspy and hard to listen to. She yanked her spear out of the man's back. "You'll make a good example of what happens to pirates that take advantage of Arlong-sama's kindness."

Rinka turned to the other pirates, her skin dripping with oceanwater. "You know we forbid attacking villagers."

"That bitch stole from us…!" One of the pirates protested.

Rinka shrugged, indifferent. "That doesn't matter to me. Perhaps if you were more careful, you wouldn't need to die now."

Nami's blood froze. No, she didn't mean for these men to _die_! She just wanted their treasure!

"Th-they didn't hurt me that bad! They don't need to die!" Nami pleaded. Rinka looked back at her, a grimace on her face.

"I'm sorry, child. Run along now. You won't want to see what happens next." The words were probably meant to be soothing, but Rinka's voice was so rough and strained that Nami couldn't help but think they were threatening. She nodded, clenching her bag as she turned and ran. If only she was better, this wouldn't have happened…! The only consolation Nami had for this turn of events were that these were pirates, who had signed up for this sort of dangerous life.

"You damn fish!" One of the pirates yelled angrily. "We'll cut you up, and sell you on the black market!"

Nami heard Rinka laugh. It sounded more like croaking, with how her vocal cords were barely workable. "Oh, pitiful humans. Not again. Never again."

Nami didn't hear what happened next. She was too focused on running. She ran and ran, until her legs hurt and her back was sore. She ran through the stitch in her side, and the sweat flying off her body, until she couldn't run anymore.

Cocoyashi came and went, and Nami couldn't help the elated feeling that surged through her.

Despite everything, she had technically succeeded. Despite everything, she had come away with a successful haul.

It had been hard. It had been scary. Nami was sure she was going to die. But she was still alive. She had done it. She would know what to do next time, where her flaws laid.

Nami returned to Arlong Park, a proud smile on her face. She was bleeding in several places, her bruised body aching and protesting at every step. But she was _happy_. She had _succeeded_. She had _survived_.

With her bag of treasure clutched in her hand, she bounded upstairs. She would combine all that she had so far, and take it to the house when she visited Nojiko. She was finally making progress towards her goal…! Her goal felt _tangible_ , and _real_.

Nami could do this. She just needed more training.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Chew had said he'd take over all the management shit Arlong had been missing, and Hachi had promised he would get a full update from Aria when he visited. Kuroobi had everything else those two couldn't cover under wraps without even needing to be asked. Arlong trusted his officers enough to get shit done while he slept off a few more days, and so he thought nothing of it when his weekly visit to Aria came up and he decided to skip the trip. Hachi would gather the weekly progress report, and Arlong could avoid the awful chills that would rack his body if he so much as thought of leaving the bed.

* * *

AN: I'm gonna be releasing chapters every two weeks instead of every week. I'm having to temporarily take over my department and I'm trying to work on a portfolio so I can find a better job elsewhere once I'm done playing manager. Obnoxious adult stuff, basically…! I'm still intending to participate in NaNoWriMo to the best of my abilities, but as long as I can manage 30k words I'll be happy tbh.

Check out my twitter at HollowVoidSiren if you want updates on how Hellbent's coming along, or if you just want to see me rambling about video games.


	19. Sick Day

**Chapter 19** : Sick Day

* * *

Arlong hated being sick. With his nose, sneezing was a nightmare, as he'd usually slice his hand open if he tried to cover his mouth. He ached all over and constantly felt overheated and sluggish. His judgement became clouded and lazy, and he didn't want to eat anything because his throat would be too sore to swallow.

He could bear the sore throats and runny noses and even the cloudy mind that came with colds well enough, but the fatigue that followed doing even a simple task made him so irate and pissy that the second he started showing symptoms of a cold, Chew and Hachi were locking him in his room like a child. They forced him to sleep it off, and while that usually worked well enough for him to recover in a day or two, something about the climate around Conomi was causing the cold to linger longer.

Chew had said he'd take over all the management shit Arlong had been missing, and Hachi had promised he would get a full update from Aria when he visited. Kuroobi had everything else those two couldn't cover under wraps without even needing to be asked. Arlong trusted his officers enough to get shit done while he slept off a few more days, and so he thought nothing of it when his weekly visit to Aria came up and he decided to skip the trip. Hachi would gather the weekly progress report, and Arlong could avoid the awful chills that would rack his body if he so much as thought of leaving the bed.

There was only one problem he hadn't accounted for when making these decisions. Arlong sluggishly woke up to the rhythmic sound of turning pages. He grimaced at the instant misery that entered his body, courtesy of the common cold, and blinked slowly as he tried to understand why he woke. He was almost about to go back to sleep when he heard a page flip, a sound so quiet normally that sliced through the dead silence of his room. A feminine hum followed, contemplative.

Arlong wanted to turn over to see who it was, but even the thought of moving hurt him. A soft sigh came from his visitor, and Arlong tried to remember why it sounded familiar. A click of a pen, followed by slow writing made him remember that he should have had something to do today. What was it? They could probably tell him, but Arlong didn't want to ask, knowing his voice would sound awful.

Eventually, he coughed harshly enough that Arlong's visitor closed their book with a solid 'thump,' and walked to the side of the bed. Arlong could feel their gaze on his back, appraising him. He cracked open an eye, grimacing at the bright light and the awful feeling of sleep mucus clogging his eyes. Arlong shook off the feeling when he felt his visitor grasp his shoulder through the blanket, as if comforting him. He turned his neck despite its protests and was surprised to see Aria frowning down at him, looking at him with...what, worry? pity? He couldn't tell, but it upset him. He growled, and Aria backed off with a placating gesture.

Arlong rolled himself into a sitting position, wincing at the chills and goosebumps that came with the action. Aria stood with her hand on her hip, her brows knitted together and her lips almost pouty. Arlong tried to speak, but he started coughing, and suddenly Aria had vanished into the bathroom. She shoved a glass of water into his hand when she reappeared.

"Drink it." Aria said, voice firm and hard when he glared up at her. Now that he had the water, he realized he was thirsty, and he downed it in seconds. Aria took it and refilled it the moment he was done, and Arlong shivered at her cold fingers brushing against his. He gulped down the second cup, too, and Aria raised a brow. "Have you not drank anything at all recently?"

Arlong glowered at her question. "I've been sleeping." God, his voice sounded nasally and scratchy and _weak_ and he hated it.

Aria pursed her lips. "Rest helps, but not without water." She disappeared into the bathroom again before he could make a scathing reply with his awful voice. She returned with another glass of water, and gave him another appraising look. Arlong hated it. While normally he didn't mind her studious gaze, there was something else in it right now, and the thought of it being pity pissed him off. He'd be damned if he ever let a human pity him while he was sick.

A determined look crossed over Aria's face, and she sat down beside him and pressed her icy hand to his forehead. Arlong felt relieved at the coolness on his head, odd because of his clammy hands protesting her touch. "Have you seen Kakuzu for this at all? You're burning up."

Aria sighed, acting like she was nursing a child. Although, Arlong had seen her with Nami, and this was different than that, somehow. Arlong tried not to think too much about it, his head swimming sluggishly.

"Hey. Pay attention." Arlong's eyes narrowed when Aria tapped him on the cheeky gently. She looked annoyed. "Well, at least I know why Hachi had to come today. You're so spacy."

"Why are you here?" Arlong asked, and clenched the sheets at the sound of his voice. He hated it so much. His voice. Being sick. Aria looking at him like that.

Aria's lip quirked into a haughty smirk. "I figured you weren't the type to laze about in bed unless you were seriously sick. Good thing I came, otherwise you'd probably be dying of dehydration on top of the common cold."

"Go home." Arlong tried to order, but his voice sounded so pathetic that even Nami wouldn't listen to it. Aria frowned, but made no move to leave. Instead, she took his cup and placed it on the windowsill. "Go home." Arlong said again, this time managing more firmness in his voice.

"Not when you can barely take care of yourself." Aria scoffed, and she picked up the book she had been reading while he slept.

"If you get behind, it'll be your head." Arlong muttered, and Aria pointed to the book with a smug smirk. "Tch. Fine. Do whatever you like." He laid down with a huff, and pulled the covers up so high that only his eyes were exposed. Arlong grimaced at the heat, but knew that if he pulled the blankets down he would be shivering instead. A few moments later, though, he realized he could just take off his clothes and maybe it would be bearable. He shed his shirt and shorts with not the slightest amount of shame, not even when Aria snorted in amusement. He made sure to toss them over where she was sitting, and the surprised yelp made him snicker.

Arlong expected to fall right back asleep, but didn't. He tossed and turned a bit, and felt Aria's gaze on him every time he did. He grumbled to himself when he realized he needed to go to the bathroom, and glared at Aria when she flashed him another one of those looks as he passed her. As he relieved himself, Arlong wondered why she was here. The reason she gave was too haughty and well-thought out to be true.

When he exited the bathroom, Aria was fussing over the bed, remaking it. Arlong had wrapped himself into a tight cocoon the last couple of days, and the blankets had gotten tangled and twisted terribly. Arlong made sure to mess it up again when he laid back down, but Aria didn't look annoyed in the slightest. The bed was more comfortable, for some reason.

Arlong tried again to fall asleep, but once again it wasn't happening, despite his sluggish mind and tired body. He wondered if Aria reading to him would bore him enough to make him fall asleep, but the thought of her treating him like a child pissed him off.

It finally clicked. He was too annoyed to fall asleep. He sat up with a huff, causing Aria to glance over at him inquisitively. "Why are you still here?"

"You told me I could do whatever I wanted?" Aria replied, although she sounded confused. Her mouth was in that cute pout of hers, and Arlong wondered if she was concerned about something.

"I did, but _why_ are you still here?"

"To take care of you?" She replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Arlong grinded his teeth in agitation. Why was she so oblivious sometimes when she was so smart?

"Why even bother? You'd rather have me dead." Arlong sneered. Aria stood and shut her book, and was suddenly pressing her hand against his forehead. "Stop trying to baby me!"

"I'm not!" Aria protested, growling just as much as him. "God, just let me help you, I'm suppose to now, right?"

Arlong seethed. "It's not like you do anything for us, why start trying to help now?" Hurt flickered across Aria's face, and she backed away. "You only want me to leave you alone. Don't push yourself out of your comfort zone to come pity me. Worthless humans should stay away from their betters anyhow." Aria bit her lip and clenched her fist, and Arlong could see he was hitting all of her weak spots. Her face was contorted into a look of pure rage, something he hadn't seen since...since she begged to be his scientist. She took a few more steps back, and Arlong could see that he'd pushed her into running. Good.

"Sorry for worrying about you, then. I won't waste the effort next time." Aria sneered, picking up her books. There was a crackling noise in the air now, and Aria's body was rippling like she was having a hard time staying together. She slammed the door on her way out, and Arlong grimaced at the sound of her stomping down the stairs.

Arlong flopped down onto his bed with a huff. Aria wasn't here anymore. Wasn't looking at him in pity anymore. Wasn't forcing him to drink water anymore. Wasn't fussing over his bedding anymore. Wasn't sitting on the couch, waiting for him to wake up anymore. That was good, right? Arlong pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself to calm down. His heart was racing and he was breathing far too hard for his stuffed nose.

Arlong looked out the window, out to the cloudless blue sky. He wondered if he would be able to see how Aria flew to her island, but dismissed the thought. It was stupid. She completely vanished when she went intangible, there would be no way to see her. Arlong realized there was something on the windowsill, and he pushed himself up to get a better look. He scowled when he realized it was Aria's shit, a folder and some mangoes she must have forgotten.

Aria didn't like mangoes, Arlong remembered. He scoffed. They might be something he liked, but that didn't mean she had to force them on _him_. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since...when, again? Reluctantly, he grabbed the fruit and the folder, and sat down on the couch to eat and see whatever bullshit Aria had forgotten. Arlong shifted in discomfort at the warmth that still lingered in the cushions, wrinkled his nose at her scent still in the air, but forced himself to ignore the lingering remains to focus on snooping.

The first page was a bulleted list of all the things Aria was suppose to work on over the week, with a poorly drawn picture of the completed prototype doodled at the bottom. Arlong snickered. For all her ability to plan and draw blueprints, her skill at actual drawing was abysmal. Arlong doubted she ever had the time to actually practice or even put proper effort into a drawing, with all the shit she kept trying to manage. It was a wonder she even found the time to come over.

Arlong bit into a mango, being careful to avoid getting juice on the folder's contents as he flipped through them. Instead of relaying the information to Hachi, Aria just wrote everything she assumed Arlong would be interested in down on paper. It was probably for the best, as Hachi tended to be as forgetful and spacy as the scientist. It was no wonder the two got along so well. Did Hachi ask Aria to come visit because he knew he'd forget what she told him? Arlong pursed his lips at the thought.

A sudden shock shook the building, and Arlong found himself at the window before he even registered what was happening. Outside, he saw a marine ship, but only one. The boys were already swimming towards it, intending to sink it. A few marines had landed ahead of time, and were trying to fight the fishmen on land. Arlong scoffed at the idea. Even from this height, he could see the marines were losing.

Arlong watched with glee as his men took out the marines under his officer's command, and felt practically giddy when the ship sunk not ten minutes after originally firing at the compound. His officers returned from the sea victorious, with not a single scratch on them. Hachi was making a ridiculous pose, and the cheers from the crew were thunderous. Arlong blinked in surprise when Aria flickered into view beside them, and the crew cheered again. Did she just go and put herself in danger for no reason? Annoyance simmered in the back of his mind. Arlong watched as Hachi clapped her on the back, his smile so bright you could see it from space. Arlong couldn't make out Aria's expression at all, but she seemed to be alright, at least physically.

Arlong groaned and fell back against the mattress. There was too much excitement for his fatigued body. Everything felt heavy, especially his mind, and he desperately needed to fall back asleep soon. Everything was under control and all he needed to do was sleep off this cold. Not even the marines could stop him from taking a nap, Arlong thought with a laugh. He curled himself up in the blankets, and fell asleep.

He awoke to the sound of a door opening, and light footsteps padding across the room. He was too tired to really give a damn about who it was, knowing he was safe enough. A drawer opened, and Arlong grew suspicious enough to reconsider. "Who's there?" He slurred, and became instantly annoyed with the sound of his voice.

"Me." The person replied, unhelpfully. Arlong opened his eyes and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of light in the room. Aria was digging through the dresser Arlong had placed her things in, and pulled out a fresh change of clothes.

"I thought you were going home." Arlong muttered, sitting up. Oh, gods, now he had a throbbing headache. He winced at the accompanying dizziness, and closing his eyes only made him focus on the pain.

"Believe me, I want to." Aria sneered. "The marines got in the way. After they got taken care of, Momoo decided to splash everyone and I'm covered in fucking saltwater."

Arlong tried to process what that meant. Devil Fruit users' powers were dampened by the salt in the sea, but that could be remedied by rinsing it off. So..."Gonna shower 'n head home?" He cradled his head in his palms.

"Kuroobi doesn't think they would just send one ship. I'm leaving tomorrow." Arlong glanced up just in time to see the large cut that ran down her arm as she walked by, and he nearly fell over trying to stand.

Arlong grabbed her wrist just before she reached the bathroom. "What happened to your arm?" Aria looked up at him with pursed lips, and squared up her shoulders.

"The marines? Obviously." She said, tersely. Arlong frowned at her attitude, and pulled her closer to inspect the wound. "It's just a long scratch. Kakuzu said it looks worse than it actually is."

"Why were you fighting with them? You know better than to get into unnecessary fights." Arlong grimaced at the wave of pain, his sick body protesting at his gall to move, almost missing Aria's embarrassed glance towards the floor.

"I was pissed off. Best way to blow off steam is with a fight, according to literally everyone in the Arlong Pirates."

"You could've gotten hurt much worse than this." Arlong reprimanded, although the words felt hollow after earlier today. Never mind the fact that he was the entire reason she was so upset.

Aria glared up at him nastily.

"Like you care. I'm just a replaceable human to you, anyway." She jerked her hand away and stormed into the bathroom. Arlong winced at the door slammed into his face, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Things were not going well for him at all today. He pressed his forehead against the cool metal of the door, and shivered with chills. He ought to go put on more clothes if he was going to be up and about, but his body ached for bed. He compromised by putting on some khaki shorts and wrapping the couch's blanket around his torso. All he was really doing was waiting for Aria to get into the bath so he could continue their conversation. She couldn't exactly run if she was having to cover herself in bubbles to protect her modesty. She already knew he didn't give a damn about walking in on her while she bathed **.**

Arlong heard the shower turn on and grumbled. Of course she would want to wash her hair first, it was full of saltwater. But that meant he had to wait longer, and Arlong's patience was thin on a normal day. He moved over the folder and fruit he had forgotten on the couch and collapsed ungracefully onto the couch, frowning at the bathroom door with the utmost petulance. Stupid cold. Stupid Aria. Stupid human pity.

After much too long, the shower turned off, and a few moments later the tub was turned on. Arlong smirked at Aria's predictability. For a human, she liked being in water as much as a fishman, so long as it was salt-free. Arlong sat up and bobbed his leg in impatience as he waited for the water to rise. Now that he thought about it, however, he didn't know what he was going to continue their conversation with. Or about. Arlong grimaced as another wave of pain throbbed behind his eyes and up to his temples. The rest of his body ached in tandem with his head, and Arlong briefly fantasized about getting into the bath, too. It had been so nice the last time. Aria would probably test how many decibels it took to dissolve a fishman if he tried, considering how much of a sour mood she was in. Arlong moaned languidly.

The tub turned off loudly, and Arlong squirmed. He felt antsy and miserable. Aria was upset, and intruding would only make her moreso. At least they could be miserable together. Arlong was surprised she was being gutsy enough to stay the night after storming out, but grateful, too. Arlong had to agree with Kuroobi in that the marines wouldn't have just sent one ship. Aria could have flown directly into a waiting marine ship. He would have lost his weapons developer already.

The thought spurred him into action, and he entered the bathroom to find Aria exactly as he expected: sprawled out in the bathtub, arms hanging over the sides and head tossed back as she soaked in white bubbles. Arlong could see just a hint of cleavage through the foam. She opened a steely blue eye and scowled at him. "Do you have to interrupt my peaceful baths every time?" Aria sounded more annoyed than angry, and Arlong took that as a good sign.

"It's my bathroom. I can do whatever I want." Arlong reminded, smirking with false amusement. Aria made an annoyed noise, and watched him with suspicion as he took a seat on the edge of the tub.

"You look absolutely miserable." Aria said, before sinking into the tub. Arlong gave a genuine grin at that, because she wasn't any better. He told her as much, and she gave him a withering glare. "Is there a point to you being in here?"

"Mmhmm." Arlong stretched out his hum just to press her buttons. It didn't seem to work, as Aria merely waited expectantly. "It was a good idea to write everything down for Hachi, but you didn't need to personally deliver it."

Aria cocked her head in confusion, before realizing what he was talking about. "Oh, that. I didn't intend to, until he let it slip that you weren't just blowing me off."

Arlong blinked at her. "Now why would I blow you off?" He was mildly annoyed that it _was_ Hachi's fault she had come over.

"I'm not useful enough, so why bother?" Aria replied simply, like she didn't just write herself off as if she was too much effort for too little reward. He must have hurt her more than he expected when he told her that. It caught Arlong off guard, because she was so haughty at times. She was so sure of herself. So prideful. He admired those traits of hers, considering they were so similar to his own, but were they a facade?

"I can't spare any of my men to do the tinkering and studying that you do. You're more than useful." She gave Arlong a dry, disbelieving look. Arlong sighed. "We just need more applied science instead of theorized science." Aria blew soap bubbles away from her face, brows knitted together.

"The prototypes need more work." Aria muttered, and Arlong nodded in agreement. Silence fell over the two for a while, easy enough that Aria closed her eyes and began to release some of the tension in her shoulders as she sunk into the water. Arlong even began to stare at the tight pink curls that disappeared into the bubbles, feeling no need to break the silence.

Eventually, Aria sat up, and met his languid gaze with her own. "Arlong?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you hate me so much?" Arlong was taken aback by the question. By the simple way she said it, like it was absolutely true. By the lack of malice in the question. It was almost innocent, and the way Aria tugged on her hair as she waited for his response made the question feel flippant.

"I don't?" Arlong replied, although the words felt unsure. Aria raised a brow, and her lip curled upwards.

"You don't need to lie." Aria said, with a laugh that seemed out of place. Arlong's brow knitted together. Aria wasn't someone he hated. Her personality was rough around the edges, but it had its appeal. There was the matter of her being a human, but that was easy to overlook considering the boons she benefitted him with. But he recalled her uneasy look during his speech at his birthday party, and how her nose had wrinkled in distaste during their fight earlier. That affected her more than she let on, didn't it?

"I don't." Arlong said it firmly this time, more certain. He didn't, really, now that he thought about it more. Aria pushed his buttons and pissed him off, but he certainly wouldn't be attracted to her so much if he hated her. She was intelligent and driven. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, or even to rely on underhanded tactics. There were moments that Aria knew just which of his buttons to press to manipulate his mood, but he knew her enough now that he could do the same. The idea of hating her just seemed so counterproductive, when she could help him so much.

Aria scoffed, and pulled her knees close so that she could rest her head on them. "You wouldn't have said the things you did earlier to someone you liked."

"Aria-chan..." Arlong said with a sigh. "I _hate_ it when humans look at me with so much fucking pity." He explained it like he was talking to a child.

Aria's nose twitched in annoyance, and her lips formed a frown. "I told you, I don't pity you. I wasn't pitying you."

"Then what was that, hmm?" Arlong snapped back. "Don't tell me it was because you wanted to _care_ for me." Aria pointedly looked away with a huff. She was avoiding his question. "That's what I thought."

"It's no different from you _caring_ about me. Lecturing me about not fighting marines when you had me kill to prove my loyalty." Aria sneered, with an extra helping of mockery added to the word care. "And you still fucking question it."

Arlong grabbed her chin and made her look up at him. She flinched at the feel of his breath on her face. "You're my _asset_. I don't want you dying on me. You have _everything_ to gain if I die. Your freedom is worth more than my life, I bet."

Aria scoffed. "Like whoever took your place would just let me leave. I'd be dead or worse off."

Aria licked her lips and stared directly at Arlong. "I don't _want_ to leave. I don't need to. I _chose_ to join you. Don't forget that."

"Oh, really? Because I distinctly remember wrapping my hand around that dainty little neck of yours until you begged for your life." Arlong released his hold to brush his fingers along her collar. "You're lucky the bruises healed so well."

"I'm a logia. You think I couldn't get out of that if I wanted to?" Aria reminded, a haughty smirk slipping onto her face. "Running is my fucking specialty."

Arlong loosely slipped his hand around her neck, and narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to test that?" He spoke lowly, and rubbed his thumb against her neck.

"Do you?" Aria shot back, eyes flashing in challenge. Judging by their devious glint, she thought she had a plan, hmm? Arlong sneered at her and cradled her face.

"I'm not going to play any games like that with you. Not after the last time, you devious woman."

Aria pouted. Arlong snickered. She had thought she got him, didn't she? He wasn't about to fall for her toying, especially not when she laid them out so openly like that. He brushed his large thumb against her tiny little lips, causing her to growl lowly. They were so soft, even though Arlong knew she chewed them to hell when she was nervous. For a hermit, Aria took surprisingly good care of her body.

They sat there in silence for a few beats, Arlong still cradling her face, before Aria asked a stupid question. "Why don't you think I could care about you?"

"You've left your sister to die of a horrible disease. If you don't care about your kin, why would you care about your boss?" Arlong said, slowly. Aria cocked her head and knitted her brows when Arlong took away his hand.

Aria thought for a few moments, and Arlong waited patiently, with genuine interest in her answer. Aria had never talked about her sister before, or close relationships with anyone from her home island at all. Arlong had at least mentioned his sister in an offhand comment before. "Allegro may be my sister, but she has her own problems to worry about. Even before she got sick, we only saw each other once or twice a year. We're siblings in blood only now, and I doubt she'd be upset if I died horribly."

Arlong found that hard to believe. "So it's just that you're both too self-involved, then?"

Aria closed her eyes as she thought about how to respond to that. "There's more to it than _that_."

"Tell me about it." Arlong ordered, wincing at how pathetic it sounded. Still, he crossed his arms and gave Aria the most authoritative look he could muster. Aria made a noise of annoyance, but nodded.

"Fine. I'm not going to bore you with a long, drawn-out story, though."

Arlong gave a raspy chuckle. He didn't think she would, but he was still grateful. "Just tell me about your damn sister already."

Aria scowled at him mildly. "Allegro is a nice girl, but she was possessive about family. My mothers worked themselves to death as Royal Scientists, trying to solve the very illness my sister has now." Arlong's brows raised at that. Well, if his hermit's mothers were working on the problem, it wasn't as if she was leaving the problem for some random person to solve. It was more personal than that. "They got sick themselves, from working so hard, and Allegro was already very... _upset_ at their work ethic. We hadn't seen them in a year when they both got very ill for a while. Allegro went to work in their place while they recovered, and got sick from one of the patients they were treating. They went right back to work after they recovered, but the damage had already been done."

Arlong grimaced. At least now he knew why Aria was so hard-working, if her entire family was. "You said it wasn't something that killed quickly, though."

Aria nodded. "Yes. There's a long incubation period before any symptoms start to show up. Allegro had been working with the patient for a year before she showed. Even then, the symptoms are manageable."

Arlong nodded slowly, his head throbbing at the action. "How long has she been sick?"

Aria tapped her lips as she considered it, the movements causing the bubbles to part for a moment. "Since I was twenty, I think. About six years, at least."

Arlong balked at that. He'd been sick for just a couple days, and he was already fed up with it. He'd be happy if he was never sick another day in his life. "That's way too long!"

Aria shrugged indifferently. "Everyone there is already doing the best they can to solve it. It would be one thing if Allegro was elderly or poor, but she's neither. She's not at risk of dying. So far the only deaths have been from children, the elderly, or those in low-income families."

"That's rather callous of you." Arlong grumbled. Aria raised a fine brow at him.

"You're hardly one to talk, captain. Besides, I'm not a biologist, so it's not like joining the efforts to help would do anything." Aria drawled.

Arlong shook his head. "You're intelligent enough that if you really wanted to do something about it, you could. Especially if it's been six years."

Aria looked taken aback by his statement, a flush forming on her cheeks before she looked away. "Maybe…" Aria murmured, before an angry scowl formed on her delicate features. "But fuck her. She never wanted to support my dreams, she only wanted to keep our 'family' together. But it wasn't like we wouldn't be family if we were apart. Or we still would be, if she hadn't gone and...Tch." Aria huffed and crossed her arms.

So they'd had a falling out, had they? Arlong would have been concerned about the bitterness in Aria's voice, but...it reminded him about Jinbe. They'd been like family, and Arlong had gleefully considering Jinbe his older brother before Jinbe had gone and become a government dog.

Arlong aggressively shoved those feelings aside, and patted Aria's head, trying to soothe her anger. "Having a falling out with your family is unpleasant." He murmured, his voice scratchy.

Aria looked up at him, confusion and calculation present in her steely eyes. Then she hid it behind a scoff. "It's fine. They're fine without me, anyway."

Arlong smirked down at her. "And you're doing fine here. You don't regret being a pirate, do you?"

Aria considered the question. "No, not particularly. Besides, your version of family seems...a lot better than Allegro's."

Arlong blinked, the question catching him off guard. "And you think that why, exactly?"

"You check up on me. Visit every week to see if I've made progress. Tell me not to do stupid things." Aria shrugged nonchalantly, but she couldn't look him in the eye. "My family would show up for things, but it was like they were just going through the motions. Because they felt like they should."

Arlong gave her an amused look. "Like you do, trying to be a part of our crew?"

"That's..." She sighed, and had to take a second to organize her thoughts. "I'm trying because I want to. Yeah, it's partially because I have to, but... I've never _done_ any of this sort of thing. Having friends. People you would lay your life down for. I don't mind it." Somehow, Arlong wasn't surprised in the slightest that she'd never had nakama before.

She scowled, and Arlong could tell she had something else to say. "Before you came, I was far too autonomous. Didn't really think about what I was doing, and was just going through the motions. Like my family, except it was every day, all the time. The only time I thought about a course of actions was when I was coming to town, and that was just thinking about how to gather all the stuff I needed with as little human interaction as possible." She ended that last sentence with a self-conscious laugh. Then she realized she had been babbling, and sunk into the bubbles with a groan. Arlong snickered. Aria was far too cute when she got on a tangent, and the expressions she would make just seemed to suit her round face.

Arlong patted her on the head and stood. "I'll accept your shit story for now." Aria scowled at him weakly, and he could tell she was completely embarrassed. His grin widened and she sunk further into the bubbles. "I'm going to bed. Don't get my pillows wet." Aria sputtered indignantly as Arlong shut the bathroom door.

Arlong dozed lightly until Aria crawled into bed with him, trying to carefully maneuver around his outstretched limbs. He rolled onto his side to give her enough room to lay down, and then stretched back out the second she had gotten comfortable, not even caring that he had tossed an arm over her chest or a leg between her thighs. Aria squealed in surprise, but Arlong was far too out of it to give a shit.

"Y-you're too close," Aria whined when Arlong breathed onto her neck, "I'm gonna catch your cold!"

"Shoulda thought of that b'fore." Arlong slurred, pulling her closer to him. His nose was still stuffed up, but he could faintly smell soap. "Sucks fer you." Aria whined again, and followed it up with a huff to let him know she was pouting. "Sleep." Arlong ordered.

Aria wiggled under him a bit, and her hand rested itself on the small of his back. Her breathing slowly evened out and matched his. Arlong had never felt more comfortable in his life as he used her shoulder as a pillow, and he fell into the deep sleep he'd been desiring all day.

The next day Arlong woke up to Aria sneezing. She had caught his cold, and was so out of it that she wasn't even complaining that his hand had slipped under her shirt sometime in the night. She whimpered and shivered when he tried to pull away, and Arlong graciously curled right back up against her and fell back asleep, even though he felt fit enough to leave. Aria murmured a thank you against his skin, and they dozed the day away.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Seeing an opportunity to tease him, Aria couldn't help but let an impish smile slip onto her face. She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose I ought to hide all of those seduction technique books from Nami, too."

Arlong choked on his spit, before snapping, "you fucking better!" between coughs. "Actually, just burn them!"

* * *

AN: This chapter is one I've had written for a while, but it got a recent rework towards the end. I actually give out information on Aria's past instead of just more vague hinting lmao. Which is good, bc otherwise it's just self-indulgent filler 8)

NaNoWriMo is going well so far! I've missed two days, but considering I always wind up writing more than I originally intend to it's evened out. I'll have lots of fun things in store soon! :) Especially since next chapter starts up Cinnabar's arc, which might wind up being a four chapter event considering how much I keep wanting to write for it. It's a delicious arc and I LOVE IT….


	20. Playful Notes

**Chapter 20:** Playful Notes

* * *

There were quite a few times Arlong respected Aria's nigh unstoppable self-reliance. Arlong very clearly could remember the way she bandaged her arm at Mata Nui, not even wanting to see Kakuzu for her wounds. He knew Aria grew as much of her own food as possible so that she wouldn't have to go to the mainland. Everything she did was so she could be self-sufficient. It was impressive, and she had every right to hold her head high.

But right now, Arlong felt extremely frustrated by Aria's inability to rely on others.

As she had warned, Aria picked up Arlong's cold. But rather than sticking around and letting Kakuzu prescribe vitamins and rest, Aria disappeared the second Arlong left to go get food. Hachi found her feverish and panting in her lab, but Aria wouldn't stop working on her machine no matter how many times the octopus had to steady her with more than one set of arms.

Arlong knew he shouldn't be concerned, because Aria knew how to take care of herself. She had lived by her lonesome for years, and was no worse for the wear. But there was that little inkling of worry in the back of his mind, reminding him of how Aria pushed herself to exhaustion on more than one occasion. If her joining the officers in crushing the marine ship the day before was any indication, she was reckless in her own way.

Arlong tried to tell himself he was irritated by her hypocrisy, that she dared to chide _him_ on not taking care of himself and then running off. But even he knew that it was a flimsy lie, with their raid on Cinnabar fast approaching and Aria's weapon going through rapid iterations. She couldn't afford more than a few hours of rest at a time, and she had already wasted so much time on Arlong.

He needed her working. Yet he couldn't let her foolishly work herself into further illness.

Kakuzu, strongly urged by Hachi, visited Aria the next day. The scientist was still working, not even stopping to sleep in her determination. She was stopping to eat, and she drank water on the hour with help of an egg timer, but otherwise she was lost in her own feverish little world.

Arlong had half a mind to tell Hachi to knock her out. Thankfully, when Hachi checked on Aria next, she was passed out on the couch with some of Kakuzu's cold medicine nearby.

The week passed slowly, Arlong cursing Aria with each daily report until Hachi mentioned Aria seemed to have completely recovered from the cold. Just in time, as there were only a few days left until they departed.

She was so worrisome.

* * *

It was the day before they were going to head out to Cinnabar. The morning was quiet, and Arlong enjoyed a bit of peace as he walked into Kakuzu's infirmary. Chew wanted to get a new tattoo before they went raiding, but there were so many things on Arlong's schedule that they both had to wake up early for it. Chew wasn't here yet, and was probably just getting out of bed.

Chew was a light sleeper, and most things tended to wake him up, so actually making him _leave_ his bed was always a challenge. It was a drastic difference from Arlong and Hachi, who could sleep through anything but cannonballs. Kuroobi was somewhere in the middle, but the karate expert rose with the sun and went to sleep far later than most of the crew. Come to think of it, Arlong rarely saw Kuroobi taking naps, like he and Chew were partial to. He wondered if his friend got enough sleep. Probably not.

"No wonder he's such a grouch." Arlong grumbled to himself as he set up his tattoo machine. A quick inspection led to Arlong realizing he'd need to replace the frame soon. The spiderweb cracks in it were getting worse. The tubing could also use some new coverings. Arlong sighed. It wouldn't be too expensive to get those things, but the ones they had were nostalgic and comfortable. He'd had this same machine for over a decade, ever since Kuroobi and Chew scraped up enough money to buy it for him as a birthday gift.

Arlong had always admired the older members of the Fishman District who had always looked intimidating and tough with their tattoos, especially when he was just an impressionable brat. Before he had even known Hachi, Chew, and Kuroobi, he'd been drawn to them. It probably didn't help that there was a tattoo shop just a stone's throw away from the halfway house he lived in, but he'd had access to professionals who would begrudgingly answer his endless questions.

Arlong thought for a long time on what he would actually want tattooed on him, but his ideas were always changing and he could never finally settle on one until he formed the Arlong Pirates. Even then, he didn't get around to getting that done until recently, and the only sort of tattoo he had was the Sun brand on his chest. Instead, he had more fun looking over other's tattooes and designing ones for his nakama. Arlong was fond of tribal designs and recognizable imagery that was noticeable from a distance. Geometric shapes and repeating patterns were also something he enjoyed. But there was always the gleeful feeling of tattooing someone's jolly roger onto them, especially if it was Arlong's.

The infirmary's door opened, the bell above it chiming. Arlong glanced up to see Kakuzu and Chew both strolling in, the former covering his mouth as he yawned. Kakuzu waved a tentacle, and then went about packing supplies for tomorrow.

"You ready for this, chuu?" Chew asked, grinning like a tired dope. He really had just woken up, hadn't he?

"Yep. Sit on down." Chew fell into the chair, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Then he slid partially out of his shirt, exposing the arm that Arlong was going to work on. They'd be adding some simple bands under the Arlong Pirate's mark on his shoulder, and then a thin line of circles underneath the bands.

"Good thing we're starting this early." Chew sighed. "We still have a lot of shit to do before tomorrow, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do." Arlong agreed, pulling his hair up and out of the way with a thin red ribbon. "And if you fuck this tattoo up while we're out I'm gonna be pissed."

Chew snickered at Arlong's threat. "Oh, I know. I still haven't forgotten what you did to Takal that one time."

Arlong grimaced as he put on his glasses. "Don't even remind me about that. It was a week or two before that even healed up enough so that I could work on it, and I had to look at that mangled shit for the entire time."

"I'm surprised Aria-san didn't fuck up her tattoo. She didn't want to join us, just like Nami didn't, chuu." Chew mused. Arlong remembered how much she had praised him for his work, and he had to fight off the flustered feeling that followed. Aria had been too happy with it to carelessly ruin it, and he had seen her take care of it with moisturizer.

"Hachi-nii warmed her up to the idea." Arlong explained, instead of telling Chew that. He pulled up a side-table and rested Chew's arm on it so that he could work on it with stability. Arlong wrapped the stencil they'd drawn up beforehand around Chew's arm, and made sure it stayed in place nicely. Then he flipped the machine on, and listened to it hum.

Chew scoffed. "Hachi is still too fond of humans, isn't he? You'd think after Koala, he'd know better."

"It wasn't Koala who betrayed us." Kakuzu piped up.

"Even if it wasn't her, they still shouldn't be trusted." Chew protested. Arlong began tattooing, and Chew winced, but otherwise stayed still. "I know Aria-san and the brat have their uses, but they'll wind up betraying us eventually."

"Nami-chan is a child, and we've taken away her support group. She won't be able to do anything." Arlong said, his voice distant as he tried to concentrate on his handiwork. "Aria-chan is a lot more...difficult. But I don't think we'll have any problems with her anymore."

If Aria had any inclination to betray them, she had let too many chances pass. Arlong found it hard to believe she would stray from his grasp now, not after hearing her declare she wanted to become nakama. Her tricks may have included manipulations and omissions, but flat-out lying didn't seem her style. There had been too much conviction to be anything but genuine.

Chew leaned his head back against the chair, his face twisted into something unpleasant. "I know you want us to treat her like she's family, Arlong-san. I can even see why, after she helped us destroy that marine ship last week, chuu. But that's going to take a long time."

Arlong fixed Chew with an annoyed stare. "I didn't think you'd warm up to it in a week, you know." He turned back to his work. "Besides, I'm still having to get _her_ to trust _us_. And that's a fuckin' doozy in itself."

With luck, that process would smooth itself out over time.

"Yeah, I bet." Chew sighed. "Though it's probably for the best she joined us instead of dying. Apparently her home country would have come after us if we'd killed her, just so they could protect their research."

Arlong didn't like to be reminded of that. Chew had told him that information, right after they'd left Aria's island. Kuroobi hadn't been pleased in the slightest. Though, Arlong didn't think they would have anything to fear from Aqua Atlus, if they were all scientists like Aria said. "As long as they don't have an army of those damn birds, I think we could take them."

Chew laughed at that. "Yeah, what even _was_ that thing?"

"I think Aria-san called it a 'Fioran Tern,' or something." Kakuzu said. "I asked her about it, one of the times I went to check on her wounds or when she was sick. Can't remember. She said they breed them in her hometown, so there are a lot of them." Chew and Arlong both made a face.

"Aria better not fucking die stupidly, chuu." Chew muttered under his breath. Arlong silently agreed. A shit-eating grin appeared on Chew's face. "By the way, I noticed you're still keeping her up in your room. Is she fun in bed?"

It took Arlong a few moments for that comment to register fully in his head, with how concentrated he was. Arlong grit his teeth and tried to will himself not to do something stupid, like drop the needle or accidently stab Chew or heaven forbid give him more ammunition. "I have a needle in my hand here, you know. Any stupid comments could end very badly." Arlong said dryly.

"What, I can't give you shit? She's the exact type you'd go for in women, with that body." Chew cackled, knowing _exactly_ what he was doing. It was times like this that Arlong wished he hadn't known Chew since childhood. Normally, Chew preferred to be laid-back and placating unless his pride was hurt, but there were also plenty of times when he would give Arlong shit. Probably because he knew he would get away with it. Chew was very, very lucky that Arlong had a steady hand and a firm grip, or else he would be stuck with a really terrible tattoo.

"I've told you I'm not going anywhere near a _human_ for that." Arlong growled.

"I know you _said that_ , but c'mon." Chew's terrible teasing grin grew wider, and he waggled his eyebrows. "That vibration shit would be a game-changer."

"Kakuzu, do we have enough cottonballs to shove in Chew's mouth so I don't have to listen to him anymore?" Chew laughed so hard that Arlong had to stop tattooing, and he fixed Chew with a disgusted glare.

"I'm afraid we'll never have enough to do that, captain." Kakuzu replied, his voice full of barely-restrained mirth.

"Wow, rude, chuu." Chew said, though he managed to finally reign in his laughter.

Arlong sighed in displeasure, and went back to the task at hand.

"But no, really, why is she up there with you?"

"Kuroobi wants me to keep an eye on her, and there's no point in keeping a room for someone who will only be here a few times a month." Arlong explained. That was the excuse he'd given to everyone else who had asked, and he was sticking to it. With how Chew was ribbing him, he couldn't exactly be truthful about his selfish reasoning without getting into even more hot water.

"Oh yeah, you have that Sea-Stone ring, don't you?" Chew said. He scratched at his face with his free hand, idly recalling information. "Cinnabar supposedly sells Sea-Stone, chuu. We should stock up while we're there."

"Do they, now?" Arlong hadn't heard that before. Arlong's brows knitted together in thought. If they did, it could be quite the boon. A few weapons enhanced with the material could keep Aria nicely in their pocket, and prevent any other devil fruit users from making a nuisance of themselves. "We'll look into that."

"Could get you some nice Sea-Stone handcuffs for your girl."

" _Chew_." Kakuzu said, aghast. Arlong didn't even bother giving Chew a reaction.

Chew grinned, but carried on like he hadn't said anything. "I hear they do a lot of side industries besides perfuming and smithing, too. If we're lucky there might even be a shop that sells those DenDen Mushi."

"Those would be useful to have on hand." Kakuzu mused. "Since Cinnabar has such different terrains, it'll be hard to take patients across them. If I get a warning, I might be able to meet someone halfway instead of idling about."

"Scouting would be a lot easier, chuu."

"Don't we have enough pets with Momoo, Vaatu, and Uruuru?" Arlong asked.

"DenDen Mushi are a hell of a lot easier to feed than a Sea King, Arlong."

* * *

May was quickly heating up. The mornings were hitting high temperatures earlier and earlier, and despite the fact that it wasn't summer yet, Aria could tell it would be a hot one. She wiped her brow, and grimaced at how sticky it was. She wished she could blame it just on the heat.

Aria fiddled with the straps of her bag nervously as she waited on the front porch. Even though she'd gone over to Arlong Park a lot within the last month, most of those times had been with a specific reason in mind. Today she was just going to spend the night so they wouldn't need to collect her the following morning. That meant a whole day of hanging around the rest of the pirates.

Aria had spent a lot of the last month trying to gain the other pirate's trust and friendship, but so far she had only had headway with a few members. The interest they had shown in her after Mata Nui had worn off, and not as many people went by her island to snoop. A lot of the crew remained a mystery to her, and it made her uneasy. Aria had probably only talked to about twenty members of her crew (and that was with a _generous_ definition of 'talking'), and that left twice that many unknown. Hachi had mentioned there were about seventy fishmen members of the Arlong Pirates. Aria gave a heavy sigh. How daunting.

Tomorrow, she would fight alongside them again. They were going to the island of Cinnabar, which boasted a lot of useful minerals, materials, and metals. It was the only island in the East that the World Government allowed to craft Sea-Stone weaponry, though according to Nezumi government officials didn't keep a very watchful eye on the island. It also boasted having rich soil due to the active volcano in the center of the island, and was well known for the perfumes and essential oils that the residents made out of the flowers that flourished there.

Aria was excited to see the area, having never been towards that side of the sea. Though she was wholly uninterested in the people there, the promise of adventure made her excited. But Hachi had mentioned it was going to be a lot more difficult to take over than Mata Nui, and that it might take several days to work through. A week, at worst. A week away from home, in enemy territory, with everyone itching for a fight.

Aria felt much more confident using her devil fruit powers in combat, now that she had been practicing with them for a month and had even sunken a marine ship with the officers' help. Yet she still worried about the worst. What if they decided she was too dangerous to keep? What if she got a bounty? What if she had to kill someone?

At the very least, she was able to reassure herself that Arlong wouldn't _make_ her kill again. If she had to, it would be in self defense. But that was a very broad term, and now that Aria had feared for her life and safety, she didn't know where the lines lay anymore.

Aria shook her head to clear her thoughts. All she needed to worry about was impressing Arlong and the others. She needed to prove her worth with her invention, and to prove she was worthy of being called nakama. Within a week, Aria hoped they could trust her more.

The air vibrated as if there was a group of people approaching, and Aria's attention was drawn to the forest. Moments later, Arlong, Hachi, and Nami emerged. Aria blinked at the sight of the child. Hachi and Arlong she had expected, but why was Nami here? Aria tried to contain a grimace. They hadn't spoken since before Mata Nui, and judging by the way Nami's eyes narrowed at the sight of her, the girl hadn't forgiven Aria.

"You been waiting long, Aria-chan?" Arlong called as they approached.

Aria shook her head, even though she'd been waiting nearly an hour. "No, not really."

They stopped at the foot of the stairs, and Aria stood.

Arlong motioned towards Nami. "Nami-chan's family had an orange grove, so I figured she would be alright to keep your garden alive."

Nami sighed. "It's a tangerine grove…" She muttered under her breath. Arlong rolled his eyes and patted her on the head, trying to placate her souring mood. Nami didn't approve, glowering weakly at the giant hand on her head.

"They're all citrus, so it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"It does!" / "Not particularly." Nami and Aria spoke at the same time. They locked eyes for a brief moment, Nami looking frustrated.

Aria crossed her arms. She still had no idea how to deal with Nami, but making things more awkward between the two of them would only hurt in the long run. "Well, I'd appreciate it if I didn't have to worry about my garden and animals while I was gone."

Nami looked surprised, as did Arlong. "You don't mind her staying here while we're gone, then?" Arlong asked.

Aria tapped her lip with her finger. "I didn't exactly prepare for guests, but it's only for a few days, right?"

Arlong nodded. "At worst, you'll be gone for a week. I'm sure Nami-chan can stay out of trouble for that long."

"You're leaving me alone on an island. What sort of trouble could I possibly get into?" Nami asked incredulously. Aria, Hachi, and Arlong all shared a look, probably all thinking about the Fioran Tern.

"...Well, as long as you keep to your work, it should be fine." Arlong pointedly ignored her question, causing Nami to purse her lips. Aria nodded in agreement.

"Which room should I take her stuff to, nyuu?" Hachi asked, and Aria noticed he had been carrying several stacks of paper and books. Nami's presence had caught her attention completely. Then she thought about his question, and grimaced.

"Ideally, there's that old children's room. But she would need to clean the bedding first."

"I can do that if you show me how to use your laundry machines." Nami said, eagerly. Aria smirked. For some reason, Nami reminded her of how eager Aria would be whenever her mothers or sister would teach her how to do a new chore. It felt vaguely nostalgic.

"Are you sure you don't just want her to stay in your room?" Arlong asked. "She'll need a desk for her work."

Nami's face flushed. Aria was uncomfortable with the idea. "I would prefer she not. I can clear off the guest room's desk, if she needs one." Nami deflated a bit.

Arlong frowned. "Why not? Are you worried she'll go through your things, like Kuroobi-nii did?"

"I'm not going to say no. But I'm more concerned things will get misplaced." Aria drawled. She didn't voice her thoughts that Nami was still a child, and would probably leave her house a mess. Aria hoped Nami would be able to pick up after herself, but last time the child had left water puddles all over the house. Memories of that incident left her with little faith.

"I'll leave everything where I found it, I promise." Nami whined. Aria shook her head.

"It's either the kid's bedroom or the guest bedroom. My room is off limits." Aria said sternly.

Nami whined petulantly. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"Knock it off, squirt." Arlong grumbled, his mouth curling downward in a grimace. Aria didn't doubt he had already struggled with Nami plenty today.

"The house is plenty spacious for you to explore, nyuu." Hachi consoled, affectionately patting Nami's head. "Are the instructions you left for me still where I left them?" Hachi asked.

Aria nodded. "Of course. Let Nami go over them with you before we go."

"Can do, nyuu!" Hachi gave a grin and several thumbs-ups.

"You might as well go pick which room you're going to sleep in while Hachi-nii grabs that, Nami-chan." Arlong said. Nami nodded, and followed Hachi into the house.

When they were both out of earshot, Aria turned to Arlong with an amused smirk. "I'm surprised you're being so thoughtful about my needs. Or are you just trying to keep Nami out of your hair for a while?"

Arlong returned her smirk with one of his own. "Why can't it be both?" He admitted. "I had entertained the idea of leaving Nami-chan here to work by herself before we picked you up."

"Well, as long as she stays out of my room and the lab." Aria said. As an afterthought, she added, "the generator shed, too."

Arlong snickered. "Wouldn't want her to get into your trashy romance novels, hmm?"

Aria pursed her lips and flushed. "I heard stories about her mother offering her body to get herself out of trouble when I went to town one time." Arlong balked at that, and Aria had to wonder if he would have been amenable to that sort of a trade, had he known. Probably not, she guessed. Not with how he hated humans. "Giving her any more ideas would probably be a bad idea."

"I completely agree." Arlong grimaced, his teeth bared in disgust.

Seeing an opportunity to tease him, Aria couldn't help but let an impish smile slip onto her face. She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose I ought to hide all of those seduction technique books from Nami, too."

Arlong choked on his spit, before snapping, "you fucking better!" between coughs. "Actually, just burn them!"

Aria giggled behind her fingers. "I don't actually own anything like that. Sorry to get your hopes up." She purred, letting a doe-eyed look slip onto her face.

"Why would I get my hopes up?!" Arlong snapped, though his face flushed. "Awful woman!"

"Pirate women are supposed to be good at seduction, aren't they?" Aria asked. "You'd have to let her learn _somehow_ , and I doubt you'd approve of…" Aria grinned wolfishly at Arlong. "...first-hand research."

"Nami won't be doing anything of the sort!" Arlong's voice cracked, and Aria couldn't help the laugh that escaped. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to cover her giggles as Arlong glowered at her.

"What won't I be doing, exactly?" Nami asked as she pushed open the screen down, brows knitted in confusion.

"Nothing! Go back inside!" Arlong glowered at the cackling Aria. "You're going to be a terrible influence on her, aren't you?"

"No more than you are." Aria chirped, her voice wavering in her amusement.

Nami glanced between the two of them, and went back inside, shaking her head and muttering under her breath. "I'm taking the kid's bedroom, by the way! Show me how to use your washer and dryer!" Nami called from inside the house.

Arlong waved Aria off, dismissing her with a scowl that she found hard to take seriously. Aria went into the house, still snickering.

Arlong took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. He sighed heavily. Everyone was going to be a pain in the ass today, weren't they? He went inside and loitered around the kitchen, listening to his crewmates talk.

Aria showed Nami how to use the laundry machines, using the old bedding as an example. Hachi had retrieved Aria's instructions on how to take care of her garden while she was gone, and the three of them went over it. It gave information on how frequently to water certain plants, what nutrients to give them and when, how much food the animals would eat daily, and so on.

"No matter what, don't let Kakuzu near my plants." Aria warned, her voice dry and slightly exhausted at the very concept.

Arlong frowned at that. "Why not? He gardens in his spare time."

"I wouldn't call what he does 'gardening', Arlong." Aria said. Arlong scowled deeper at that vague answer, but dropped the subject. Everyone seemed so adamant about Kakuzu not getting any more plants to take care of. Arlong didn't get why.

After making sure Nami was comfortable and knew where everything was, Aria decided she would be fine on the island alone. Nami followed them out to the dock, and watched with unabashed amusement as Aria warily stepped into Hachi's jar. Nami didn't like that method of travel either, but it was much better than riding on Arlong or Chew. Still, it was funny to watch Aria get so nervous. Nami didn't know much about devil fruits, but apparently seawater was their weakness, and Aria couldn't swim as a side effect.

Nami watched them until they were out of sight, and then decided she'd make some lunch before settling down to work.

* * *

Aria was ever so grateful that there wasn't a crowd awaiting her when they got to Arlong Park this time. Everyone was too busy packing supplies or getting in some last minute training. It made coming ashore much less nerve-wracking, although she still accepted Arlong's help getting out of Hachi's jar.

Aria followed Arlong up to his room. She was still a bit surprised he hadn't kicked her out yet. There were plenty of guest bedrooms unused, so it wasn't like she couldn't have a room of her own. But Arlong hadn't given her one. Instead, he seemed perfectly content to just keep her in his room.

Aria would be lying if she said it didn't make her happy.

But Nami's words also echoed in her mind, reminding her that Arlong might still not trust her. Kuroobi could be whispering words of possible betrayals into Arlong's ear, as he had before. Aria grimaced at the thought. While they were on Cinnabar, Aria really needed to prove herself to Kuroobi.

Aria set down her bag, and dug out her weapon. Hopefully with this, she could.

Aria pulled out the rest of her things, and set about organizing them while Arlong took a quick shower to rinse off the salt from his swim. Salt seemed to cling to fishmen's body hair a lot, and it made Arlong's skin appear shimmery for a while. It was distracting. Not only that, but the sea salt made Aria feel a bit weak when it touched her. Aria was grateful Arlong didn't seem to like it lingering on his body.

The door opening let Aria know that Arlong was done with his shower, but she paid that little mind until Arlong patted her shoulder, and Aria winced at the touch of that damn Sea-Stone ring.

"When are you going to take that shitty thing off?" Aria grumbled, pointing her finger at the offending jewelry.

Arlong's grin disappeared. "If Kuroobi-nii had his way? Never."

Aria's mouth made a thin line and she rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously."

"I can't exactly blame him. You're a valuable asset, and we can't afford to lose you." He squeezed her shoulder, and Aria realized he probably meant it in a reassuring manner, but with that Sea-Stone all it did was make her feel weak.

"I don't see how those two things correlate." Aria huffed, putting her hand on her hip.

"You're a bit too hot-headed for your own good at times, my dear. And there's no way to stop you otherwise." Arlong explained. "You made Nezumi nearly piss his pants."

Aria had to stop herself from voicing her thoughts on that matter aloud. Instead, she shook her head. "All you need to do is tell me to stop. I'm not going to disobey an order, captain."

Arlong looked positively pleased with that answer. "It's not just mine you have to follow." He reminded. "Kuroobi, Chew, and Hachi all outrank you. And I've already seen that you don't get along well with Kuroobi-nii."

Aria grit her teeth at the thought of following an order from Kuroobi. She wouldn't mind Hachi giving her an order at all, and Chew giving her an order might annoy her but she'd still follow it. Kuroobi...She'd do it, but not easily. During Mata Nui, she hadn't minded in the slightest. Now? Not after he had snooped through her things, and tried to turn Arlong against her.

Aria pursed her lips at his point. She avoided looking him in the face. "It's not that you're wrong, but...We could at least test it out. I'll obey their orders just fine."

"If you say so. But I'd rather not go to Cinnabar and wind up fighting another shitty logia unarmed."

Aria scoffed at that. "This is the East Blue, not the Grand Line. Devil fruits aren't a dime a dozen here."

"After running into you, I'd rather not take my chances." Arlong said dryly.

"I'm sure I'd be able to handle any enemy users." Aria countered, putting both hands on her hips and jutting her chin out defiantly.

Arlong laughed at that. "No offense, but you're still green. I'd rather you not be our trump card."

"Fine." Aria said tersely. "I might as well just stay here, then, if you don't trust me worth a damn." She knocked Arlong's arm off of her with the back of her hand, and brushed through him, intent to go to her lab and organize things.

Aria made it to the door before Arlong's hand clamped down on her shoulder. She yelped at the strength that he put into the action, before glaring up at him over her shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Arlong growled.

"To go work." Aria snapped.

"You can do that later. Right now, I think we need to have a conversation about _you_." Arlong spun her around as he spoke, and leaned down so they were at eye level. Aria huffed, not wanting to relent even when Arlong could just move his face and slit her throat. "I trust you plenty, and I don't doubt that you'd be a downright menace to anyone who got in our way. But the others _don't_."

"You keep touching me with that damn ring anytime you don't want me going anywhere. That certainly doesn't seem very trusting." Aria countered.

"Well, you certainly make it hard for me to have a proper conversation with you otherwise." Arlong sneered. "You storm off at the slightest insult."

Aria bristled. She didn't do that too much, did she? No. It had only happened a few times, and Arlong was just as guilty of it. "Like you're any better."

Arlong rolled his eyes. "Stop going for low-brow shit." Aria was sorely tempted to remind him that he had started it. "The point I'm trying to make is that no matter how much _I_ trust you, Kuroobi-nii and the others don't yet."

"Then make them! Or at least let me prove I'm not a danger or whatever bullshit it is they think I am!" Aria snapped. "I get that none of you will ever see me as more than a human, but I put myself out a _lot_ to be part of the crew. The least they can do is give me a bit of trust in return!"

Arlong scowled as he thought. He knew that the problem did lay in the fact that she was human. Each of his crewmates had their own tumultuous relationship with humanity, and especially after Foolshout Island it was going to be hard for them to ever fully trust another human crewmate. Nami brought back too many memories of Koala as it were.

Yet Aria wasn't wrong either. Arlong knew more than most about how much anxiety being around others gave her, and how much she would prefer to be alone and working. The crew ought to trust her, and they ought to see that he trusted her too.

Arlong gave a heavy sigh. "...Fine, I'll take it off while we're on Cinnabar. But if you disobey _one_ order, you won't get another chance. Understand?"

Aria's eyes widened, and her lips parted in surprise. She hadn't expected him to change his mind so easily, let at all. Slowly, she nodded.

Arlong stood up, and ruffled Aria's hair. He smirked at her indignant squawk. "We need to work on you being apart of our family, anyway. Just because you're human doesn't mean you're not one of us."

"I think I'll just settle for being nakama." Aria said, a petulant look on her face. "And if you say one more shitty comment about me settling down with someone I'm gonna dissolve a hole in your bed so that maybe you can finally be capable of sleeping on your back."

Arlong putted his hands up placatingly. "Fine, fine, no more comments about shacking up with one of the crew." He grinned mischievously. "Though there will be a lot of humans on this new island."

Aria gave him the most annoyed stare she could muster. "Hopefully you'll find one with a teeth fetish, then."

Arlong gave her the most fake-innocent smile Aria had ever seen. "I didn't know you were into that, Aria-chan." Aria bared her teeth and gave him the middle finger. Arlong stared at it. "Is that suppose to mean something? I keep seeing you humans making that motion."

Aria's lip quirked into a disbelieving smile. "Wha...you don't know?"

"I wouldn't ask if I did." Arlong crossed his arms in irritation.

"It means 'fuck you.'"

"You rude little shit." Arlong grumbled. He waved towards her arm flippantly. "How the hell is that suppose to symbolize that?"

Aria never thought she would have to explain this to anyone. She thought it was universal, mostly because it had been Jiro who had taught it to her. Actually, he'd taught it to a lot of the kids she knew. Jiro was not a good influence. "The middle finger is suppose to look like a dick."

Arlong made a confused face. "Aria...I know you're a hermit but...that's not…"

"I know what a dick looks like, you asshole." Aria snapped, poking Arlong in the chest. "Aqua Atlus isn't like Amazon Lily where men are completely banned, y'know!"

"I figured you had just gotten misinformed through trashy romance novels. My bad." Arlong said, a shit-eating grin forming as he spoke. Aria growled lowly, causing Arlong to start cackling. "Honestly, you are just too fun to mess with." He said between snickers. Aria flicked his chest in irritation. That only made him laugh harder.

* * *

Chew's arm burned as he helped Hachi haul food over to the Sea Kings, the skin trying its hardest to heal and protesting the rough treatment. Momoo, Vaatu, and Uruuru were all clamoring eagerly for their feast, however, and it wouldn't be long til they grew insatiable.

Momoo was the peaceful one of the trio, easily sated by roast hog. He tended to forage for his own food when left alone, and didn't need much babying. Hachi had even managed to teach it quite a few tricks, and it was more like a pet than anything. Momoo's constant appetite was a bit dangerous though, and had on more than one occasion considered eating Chew along with its dinner.

Vaatu, on the other hand, ate barely anything but would beg to be fed every couple of hours. When he got hungry, everyone knew it, because he would roar ferociously. Being a lionfish Sea King, Vaatu was petulant and catlike, and would roam the surrounding oceans until it wanted to be fed. It had a penchant for wanton destruction, as well, and Chew was grateful they could redirect Vaatu to sinking enemy ships instead of destroying the walls that surrounded Arlong Park. Vaatu had been a hindrance during construction, as he would gleefully gnaw on the stone and lumber just as frequently as he would knock it into the ocean with his tail. Yet it was too damn lazy to hunt on its own, having been babied since it was a guppy by Dresden.

Uruuru was much more pleasant than Vaatu, but was still more of a handful than Momoo. She was a giant watersnake, and was capable of crushing prey under her coils effortlessly, but all she wanted to do was sleep or bask in the sun. Right in front of the Arlong Park gates. She made a good guard, but like Vaatu she wouldn't feed herself. Thankfully, she only ate every few days, and wouldn't need food again until she fully digested her meal, but it wasn't unlike her to sneak some of Vaatu's food when the lionfish wasn't watching. Vaatu would notice, but he would always blame Momoo, and the seacow and the lionfish would squabble until one of the officers broke them up.

"These guys sure are a handful, chuu." Chew said as he hauled the last of the food out in front of the gates. The Sea Kings loomed above them, but they waited patiently for the go-ahead. Or as patiently as they could, salivating and eyeing the spread with barely restrained excitement.

Hachi nodded and crossed his many arms. "At least this should keep Uruuru full until we get back."

"Well, are you ready to get this over with?" Chew asked. He made sure to put plenty of distance between him and the food. Hachi nodded, and made a trumpeting noise with his mouth.

The Sea Kings launched themselves at the food, and a wave of water soaked Hachi.

"Nyuu, this happens every time…" Hachi sighed, wiping water off his face.

"I keep telling you to stand back!" Chew laughed.

* * *

After spending some time organizing her lab, Aria found herself at a loss on what to do. Aria wondered if Arlong Park had a library. She hadn't seen one and Arlong hadn't ever mentioned one, but there had been lots of things he had glossed over in his tour. Then again, Arlong wasn't the reading type, and her attempts to explain the physics of sound always left Arlong in a foul mood. Only Chew and Kakuzu really seemed to have an interest in reading, as far as Aria could tell.

There were a couple floors that would be promising. Aria decided she would check out the storage floor before she moved on to the recreation floor.

The hallways were busy, and Aria had to skirt around several fishmen who nearly ran into her in their urgency. Aria remembered it had been this busy the day before Mata Nui, but she had been so busy avoiding Arlong that it had been an afterthought.

Aria's face flushed when she remembered everything that had happened that day. It was all her fault, but...she didn't regret a bit of it. Punching Arlong probably hadn't been her _smartest_ move, and he had definitely been pissed afterward, but their training-turned-seduction had been exhilarating. Aria's ego had been preening for days afterward, even with all the angst she had felt about Mata Nui.

Aria shook her head. It wasn't a good idea to start considering Arlong being putty in her hands. She needed to focus on completely earning his trust so that he'd get rid of that damn Sea-Stone ring. The best way to do that was to get to work.

Now that her latest project was completed, Aria had an itch to start on something new. There were quite a few topics that piqued her interest, but even if she did find a library, Aria doubted the books would be there. Still, she searched the storage floor without missing a single room.

Her perseverance paid off when Aria opened a door, and was gleefully surprised to find that there were bookshelves. She stepped into the room, and flicked on the light. The overhead bulbs flickered to life with effort, and hummed loudly. The windowless room was small, no bigger than her dining room, and it looked like it wasn't used often. A thin layer of dust laid on most of the books, and only the medical tomes looked like they were used. The bookshelves lined every wall, with a few aisles of shelves sitting in the middle of the room. There was no seating or desks, and Aria didn't doubt that was part of the reason the room didn't get much use.

Aria glanced over the titles, and pursed her lips when she realized most of them were manuals for various trades. There was one bookshelf dedicated exclusively to fishman cuisine cookbooks. Another was dedicated to out-dated fashion magazines. Aria kept searching, looking for anything that might pique her interest.

It took her nearly an hour to go over every title, even though the room was not very big. Aria hoped she had missed something big and important, but she knew she hadn't. In the end, she wound up only having a handful of books to read.

One was a thick history book, covering the history of the Ryugu Kingdom. Aria hoped learning more about the history of her crewmate's country would help her understand them better. The text was so small and the tome so thick that Aria didn't expect to get very far in it today.

Another was a thin essay on haki. Aria didn't expect it to yield much, as it barely looked to be more than twenty or thirty pages, and she had found it being used as a bookmark for something else.

The others were textbooks, random in subject and probably not helpful to Aria's studies. But they would expand her worldview a bit, and that was all she really needed out of them.

She flicked the lights off and returned to Arlong's room, curling up on the couch with her new reads. The essay on haki was devoured first. Arlong had mentioned an interest in learning the techniques, although she wondered if he hadn't already managed to unwittingly tap into them.

Aria noticed that Arlong was capable of noticing his crewmates before they came into view more than a couple times, but he hadn't consciously recognized it. Kuroobi, too, seemed able to use observation haki subconsciously, detecting the feelings of his nakama or lecturing them not to act recklessly. Aria didn't know if she was capable of using observation haki herself, or if it was her devil fruit powers that let her detect malicious presences from time to time. She doubted she would know for sure without further research and testing.

Research would be hard to do in the sleepy East Blue, but perhaps she could reach out to her contacts. For now, the essay would have to do.

The essay detailed the basic types of haki: observation, armament, and conquerors. Aria frowned when she read that conquerors haki couldn't be learned. That was frustrating, to have a technique limited by complete chance. As she read on, she grew more concerned. Armament haki apparently allowed logia users to be harmed. While that could mean a permanent end to Arlong's Sea-Stone ring, she could land herself in more hot water. She liked being able to count the people who could physically harm her.

Nothing she read gave her a clear rebuttal of the theory she had formed years ago. Haki could very well be the result of humans and fishmen tapping into frequencies they didn't understand. That would explain why observation haki users felt like they could read their opponent's mind and emotional state, and why conquerors haki users could take out entire crowds without lifting a finger. Armament haki could even be explained by destructive soundwaves being used to either protect or harm.

Aria found herself itching to test her theories, but at the moment there was nothing she could do. Instead, she busied herself with writing letters. The sooner her contacts knew what she was looking for, the better.

* * *

Arlong grinned when he saw Aria enter the dining hall. She was slowly becoming more comfortable with the crowd, though watching nervousness flicker over her face was endearing. After she grabbed herself a plate of food, she deftly avoided the crowd and seated herself beside Hachi.

"Glad we didn't have to drag you away from your books this time, Aria-chan!" Hachi teased, patting her shoulder amicably. It didn't pass Arlong's notice that she didn't bristle at Hachi's touch anymore, and that pleased him. Hachi's magic touch with humans was a valuable asset, Arlong mused as he bit through bone and meat.

"Your library leaves much to be desired, I'm afraid." Aria said, an amused smile on her face. She leaned against her palm, propping her elbow on the table. Arlong had half a mind to tell her to watch her manners, but he didn't fancy a fight during dinner.

Hachi blinked. "We have a library?" Aria shot Hachi an amused look.

"Not much of one, chuu." Chew complained. "Maybe we can get some actual good books from Cinnabar."

"At least having some more navigation books or cartography books would help." Kuroobi agreed. "We'll need more information to keep expanding our empire."

Arlong grimaced. Kuroobi brought up a good point. Aside from what the scouts and Nezumi brought, they were still sorely lacking on information on the East Blue. Arlong didn't trust Nezumi well enough to put much faith into his information yet. They needed to procure solid knowledge about this sea.

The library itself was another matter. They had only built that small library for Kakuzu's use, and wound up shoving their meager collection from the Sun Pirates in it. Chew and quite a few other members had an interest in expanding the library, but neither Conomi or Mata Nui had much to offer. As it stood, the library was nothing more than storage for now.

"We'll see what we can find." Arlong said, mentally adding that to his list of things he hoped to get from their raid tomorrow. "I'm sure you kept yourself busy enough, Aria-chan."

Aria nodded. "I found a few things to keep me occupied. When Twinny comes next I'll be sending out letters to a few Abroaders." That came as a surprise to everyone at the table, and the officers and Arlong all shared a glance.

Kuroobi's eyes narrowed. "What for?" Kuroobi's voice was calm, but there was that tell-tale edge to it that Arlong recognized as distrust.

"I found something that covered haki, surprisingly, but all it did was give me a few more basic facts. I doubt researching further will go well without their help." Aria admitted, keeping her tone even. Still, it looked like she was waiting for Kuroobi to pick a fight with her. Kuroobi seemed to agree with her, however.

Arlong lit up at the mention of haki. They all had seen it in action during their escapades in the Grand Line and their short visit to the New World. Having that sort of power would be invaluable in building his empire, and Aria figuring out its secrets would only be a godsend.

"You had a theory about haki, didn't you?" Arlong asked, excitement bubbling up in him. Aria nodded as she took a drink. Arlong grinned widely at her. "As long as you keep quiet about our movements, feel free to research that as you please."

"Thank you." Aria chirped, returning his smile.

"Haki, huh? Nyuu, I remember when we had to fight that asshole marine with the really good observation haki." Hachi said, his brows knitting together as he reminisced. Arlong grimaced.

"Oh, don't even remind me about that, chuu." Chew grumbled before aggressively chewing through a crab shell. Even Kuroobi scowled at the memory. Aria, on the other hand, looked interested.

"Didn't we all have to team up on him?" Kuroobi asked.

"I mean, we tried to, but he kept dodging Hachi's ink and it got me and Arlong in the face." Chew shook his head.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that!" Hachi laughed. "Arlong shoved me overboard when the fight was done." Arlong snickered at the memory and Aria's aghast face.

"It's not as if he would drown." Arlong reminded.

"How could you be so mean to Hachi, though?" Aria asked, her tone coming off as a near whine. Arlong rolled his eyes. Aria had yet to experience any of Hachi's true idiocy yet.

Hachi laughed and waved her off. "To be fair, I did botch the entire thing."

"Yeah, he deserved it, chuu." Chew snickered behind his cup. "Especially after he caught himself on his own fishing line for the umpteenth time that day."

"Don't tell her that, nyuu!" Hachi whined, embarrassment written all over his face.

To her credit, Aria just looked mildly confused. "Excuse me?"

"Hachi is, unfortunately, an idiot." Arlong explained, giving his childhood friend a wolfish grin when Hachi mocked offense. "You thankfully haven't had to watch him nearly fall overboard because he's tugging on his own damn shirt so hard he loses balance."

Aria's eyes slowly slid over to Hachi, and slowly a horrified look took over her expression as Hachi hung his head in shame. "It's true!" Hachi wailed.

"Have you done that while catching fish for me?" Aria asked, her voice quiet like she was afraid of the answer.

"Yes! I did it three times just yesterday." Hachi admitted, burying his face in a pair of palms.

" _How_."

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Hachi." Kuroobi consoled, patting his friend's back. Arlong cackled in amusement.

The conversation turned to other stupid adventures they had on the way to the East Blue. Chew and Hachi took turns being dramatic in their storytelling, while Arlong and Kuroobi would make snide comments or calm corrections. Aria sat and listened, an amused smirk on her face. The rest of the evening passed with laughter and stories filling the air, and Arlong wouldn't have traded it for anything.

* * *

Nami's back cracked as she stood up straight, and several more of her joints popped as she stretched. She had been hunched over the dining room table since noon. It was late now, and Nami had gotten bored of working; she needed a break. She fixed herself a quick salad and made herself a pot of tea. The moon peeked out from behind the trees, making the outside look dreamy. Aria's island was quiet and peaceful, and Nami could understand why she liked her tranquil house now.

Now that she was fed, Nami felt more awake. She contemplated what to do next, before a mischievous grin slipped onto her face. Aria wasn't exactly here to tell her not to snoop through her things, was she? At the very least, Nami doubted the hermit would mind if she helped herself to some of Aria's nail polish.

Nami climbed the stairs eagerly, and opened the door to Aria's room. Nami had only seen a glimpse of it before, when Aria had ushered her into the bathroom. She was excited to snoop. The bedroom was cozy and cleaner than before, and it smelled nice. Aria must have burned a candle before she left, as the scent still lingered in the air.

Nami was surprised to see Aria's bed was covered in stuffed animals. The hermit didn't seem like the type to want something so...childish or frivolous. But maybe the hermit got lonely, too. Nami decided she would take one to sleep with tonight, and she would put it back before Aria noticed.

Spying her goal on the top of Aria's dresser, Nami moved the desk chair so that she could choose better. There were a lot of different colors, and Nami hummed in appreciation. She wished she had the money for nail polish. Borrowing Aria's would have to do. She selected a nice tangerine color, and jumped off the chair.

Nami swung her bare feet as she painted her nails, humming to herself idly. Perhaps tomorrow she could do her toes. Nami examined her handiwork when she was done. Her nails didn't look as pretty as Aria's, with polish accidently covering the skin next to her nails, but it was her first time ever doing this. It was harder than it looked. Still, it made her feel pretty, and Nami smiled. Maybe when she was older and free, she could paint her nails whenever she wanted, in any color she wanted. The thought filled her with hope.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Summary:**

The Arlong Pirates go to Cinnabar, and Aria attracts the attention of someone with unclean intentions.

* * *

AN: Thanksgiving prep is terrible when you work in a grocery store, and even moreso when you have a cold. Everything in existence conspired to have this chapter not be written! But I persisted!

NaNoWriMo is over, and I managed to go way over my goal of 30k words, so I'm pretty happy :) I have a few Hellbent sidefics in the works too, though they won't be seeing the light of day for another couple of months.

This chapter's title is inspired by Utawarerumono's OST song by the same name. It's a fun song to listen to while I write slice of life scenes.


	21. Shadows Lurking

**Chapter 21:** Shadows Lurking

* * *

The third island Arlong intended to claim was Cinnabar. It was a much busier island than Conomi or Mata Nui, and it boasted that its mountains were home to an endless supply of rare metals as well as fields that grew flowering plants used in perfumes.

Nami confirmed that the island was well-known for its smithing and exporting materials, and Chew had mentioned off-hand that they could easily expand their armory with the precious metals. Gajeel and Dresden both seemed eager at the prospect of having a constant supply. The island also had a reasonable jewelry business, as stainless steel was quickly becoming more and more popular as a bracelet base. The perfumes could be used to make sure the island never ran out of cash, so long as their trade with other islands was closely monitored. All in all, Cinnabar seemed like the ideal place to claim next.

After the ease of taking over Mata Nui, and with the island lacking any real sort of marine presence, Kuroobi and Arlong had decided they wouldn't need to prepare the men nearly as roughly as they had for their second conquest. The pirates were eager enough for combat.

It was a good day for a raid. The weather was warm, the sea was pleasant, and the skies were clear. The peacefulness seemed ironic considering what would occur later.

The ride to Cinnabar was long but calmer than Mata Nui's had been, and Aria wasn't filled with nearly as much anxiety on the trip now that the only tests would be on her machinery. Her mind still flickered back to her initiation unwillingly, though, and Aria found herself desperately hoping that Arlong would keep his promise to her. She didn't want any unnecessary blood on her hands for quite a while longer.

The scientist kept a watchful eye on her captain as they landed a good ways from any town, nestled between plots of anise and poppies. He moved with a barely contained bloodlust, excitement dancing in his eyes as he gave the men their orders, a wide grin spread across his face as he spoke of ship dismantlement and war. His excitement was almost intoxicating, and Aria realized that she was almost as eager to fight as the men around her.

"Our empire will spread today!" Arlong shouted, signifying the end of his speech and the prelude to the conquering. The crew roared eager bloodlust before separating, following their squad leaders.

There were several cities on this island. Vesteria was the largest, and it took up the majority of the northwest. According to Nami and Chew's scouting, it was a large, sprawling city, filled with metalworking plants, tanneries, and all sorts of dangerous work. It was also partially built into the side of the island's central volcano, and the city boasted that it used the volcano's thermal energy in its crafting. Dresden and Gajeel would lead the group that would take over that area, but considering Vesteria's size there was a good chance they would need backup later on.

Hachi and Chew's group would be heading towards Vienna, which was a very active port town. As they'd done on Mata Nui, they were in charge of sinking any ships there. They were also in charge of taking control of all the little nameless villages that were in the forests, including the small ranches full of cattle-herders and farmers before Vesteria.

Kuroobi, Kakuzu, and Arlong would be first taking care of Grasse, and then moving along towards Arles. Grasse was known for its flower fields, which were routinely harvested to make essential oils out of. Those would later be turned into perfumes.

There were more cities than Aria thought possible for them to take over in a day, and she understood now why Arlong had said it might take almost a week. Normally, that would cause a concern, as it would give people time to escape. But Arlong had instructed that his group go around the island in a circular manner, and Gajeel and Dresden would go in the opposite direction until the two groups met up, while Hachi and Chew would take care of sinking the ships. If it took more than a day, so be it. The island's inhabitants wouldn't be able to leave even if they wanted to. Not until Arlong gave the orders.

"Aria-chan! Follow me." Arlong's call brought her out of her thoughts as he headed east towards the nearest city, Grasse. She tossed a glance over towards the blacksmith's group, and matched Gajeel's disappointed look with one of her own. They had been eager to see her weapon firsthand, and she had been eager to see what supplies they could gather in the metalsmithing city of Vesteria.

"Yes, captain." Arlong was too pleased by her subordinance to notice her disappointment or the way she dug her fingers into her bag's strap. She followed close behind Arlong, having to nearly jog to keep up with his eager pace, and ignored the amused glances of the rest of their group.

The anise flower plots gave way to well-used stone paths quicker than Aria thought they would, and then quickly to steam distilleries with perfumers hard at work. The workers stopped and stared as Arlong approached, and whispers of _fishmen_ and _is that the Arlong Pirates_ whistled through the buildings. Arlong met all of their wary glances with his teeth bared in a bloodthirsty smile, and the workers cowered and made themselves as small as possible. Most of them, anyway.

"You, there! This is private property." Bellowed a man who was clearly there for his brawn and not his brains. Aria felt almost sympathetic as he approached Arlong, his face twisted in an aggressive facade. "Unless you have business with the d'Maitre, I'm going to have to escort you off the property."

"Ah, but we do have business with your d'Maitre." Arlong loomed over the perfumer, whose facade broke with distress as he realized just how massive the fishman was up close. "We have business with all of you. Round up your fellow humans, will you? And someone fetch me a list of employees."

The small crowd of cowering humans looked at each other fretfully long enough for the saw-shark to get snappy. "Now!" A few scattered into action, rushing towards an administrative building, while others went to go round up the remaining employees under watchful eyes. Eventually there was a sizable crowd, and the d'Maitre approached.

"Arlong the Saw, is it?" The d'Maitre was a stocky woman, a mix of muscle and fat, and she barely came up to Arlong's elbow. But her stern face had no fear as she looked up at his menacing grin, only calm assessment.

"Ah, so you've heard of me. Do you know what I want, then?"

"Yes, of course." The d'Maitre motioned a boy no older than sixteen over, and the child took the paperwork to Arlong with shaking palms. "That is every one of my employees. We will pay your fees."

Arlong looked tickled pink. "It's so nice to see such willing cooperation." He tossed the papers to Kuroobi, who flipped through them quickly, scanning the lists. "Your employees will lead us to their homes, and we will collect our dues for your _protection_. 100,000 beri for every adult and 50,000 for every child."

There was a gasp from the crowd, but the d'Maitre nodded. "That is fine. Anyone who cannot pay will be helped by my company, however."

Arlong blinked in surprise, but his grin only grew more malevolent. "That's quite generous of you. But when you run out of money, who will save _you_?"

The d'Maitre didn't bother responding.

The workers led the pirates to their homes, and money was taken from each family accordingly. There were quite a few families who just barely scraped by, and Aria was concerned about the longevity of Grasse's life. It would be such a shame to lose a profitable town due to Arlong's high fees, but she knew better than to get between him and his money.

The city was filled with many more people than the distillery's employees, and Kuroobi quickly sought out Grasse's town register for a more accurate estimate on how many people they would be extorting. As Arlong and Aria waited for him to return, the scientist took the time to observe the city.

Despite having docking in several ports in the East before reaching her island, Aria had never been to Cinnabar, let alone Grasse, and the perfumer's town was interesting. Many of the buildings between the fields and the center of town were purely for extracting scents and essential oils from the flowers, while others were for applying those scents to leathers and clothing and candlewax. Almost all of the houses were surrounded by thriving greenery and flowers despite the obvious industry, and the people didn't seem concerned in the slightest about the volcano on the island or any potential volcanic ash. She was sure that Grasse would be a stark contrast to Vesteria, where there would be nothing but steel and heat.

When looking at her surroundings grew dull, Aria decided to return to peoplewatching. The people were bitter about losing their hard-earned beli, and quite a few broke down in tears, but there was little to no resistance. It seemed strange to her. Aria wasn't one to give in without a fight, but these people had little issue showing their bellies. While she hadn't put up a fight, she hadn't given in until she was sure Arlong would kill her. She had expected these people to be the same as the previous island, where the marines had fought off their invasion until they were forced to bend to Arlong's will. After Mata Nui's excitement, Grasse was almost disappointing.

While Arlong was taunting a poor woman, Aria glanced down an alleyway and saw a lone man standing there, watching. The left side of his body was covered in a splash-like burn that must have happened decades ago, as it was healed better than any Aria had ever seen. He had short-kept hair and a heavily wrinkled, pock-marked face, and his appearance was unkempt and very rough, as if he had crawled out of the dumpster he was standing next to. None of the people who walked by him seemed to notice him, and if they did they flinched as if startled before hurrying away. He stood there, staring at them for such a long time that Aria grew uncomfortable and stepped so that Arlong stood between them.

"What's wrong, Aria-chan? Not as unattached as you thought you were?" Arlong teased, laughing harshly.

"Thankfully I still don't really care about your exploitation." Aria put a hand on her hip, and furrowed her brows. She couldn't see the old man, but it felt like he could still see her, and that sent shivers up her spine. "But there was some creep staring at us."

Arlong seemed to realize she was still looking towards the vicinity where the man was, and tossed a glance over his shoulder. "If he was back over there, he's gone now."

Aria's brows tightened. It didn't _feel_ like the man was gone, but when she peered past Arlong the alley was empty. "So he moved. He's still around here, somewhere. I can feel it. It's setting me on edge." Arlong hummed in consideration, but didn't seem to consider it a problem.

Kuroobi chose that moment to return. "Arlong-san, there's quite a number of people here. Much bigger than Mata Nui. This might take several days to take over."

Arlong waved a hand dismissively. "That's fine, it's not like these people are putting up a fight, anyway." He grinned at Aria. "Which is a shame, because I was hoping to see your little toy in action, Aria-chan."

"Perhaps the next town will be a bit more rebellious." Kuroobi said, grinning. "I'm looking forward to a fight myself."

"Well, if you see a half-burnt old man, feel free to fight him." Aria grumbled. "He seemed to creep out everyone who walked by, so I'm sure no one would mind." Kuroobi gave her a confused look.

"Shahaha, you're turning out to be a pretty vicious little hermit, aren't you?" Arlong thumped her shoulder as he cackled, and Aria felt her cheeks burn. She just wanted to feel at ease as she had earlier! "I'm sure the elderly won't be much of a problem, no matter how much they scare you."

Aria scoffed, giving Arlong a weak glare. "I'm not scared in the slightest! He didn't blink _once_ as he was staring at us! It was creepy!"

Warily, she scanned the perimeter again. She couldn't find the old man, but she had realized soon on that being unable to locate him didn't mean much. He was around somewhere. The old man was mostly unsettling because every time Aria took her eyes off of him, she would have a hard time finding him again. Even if he hadn't moved, it was like there was something about him that _encouraged_ people to lose track of him.

"Whatever you say, Aria-san." Kuroobi said, shrugging. He ignored the annoyed look she gave him with ease. The ray flipped through the folder once more before calling over some men who had just returned with bags full of beli. "We need to work fast if we want to get to Arles before sundown." Kuroobi instructed, and handed out files accordingly.

Aria trailed behind Arlong the whole while. Many of the humans cowered before Arlong as he strolled by, the giant sword on his back deterring them if the rest of his radiant malevolence didn't. Arlong was enjoying picking on the humans here, though Aria recalled he had been just as taunting and rude when he first arrived at her home.

There was one human brave enough to try and plead with them. A woman not much older than Aria fixed her with a desperate look, grasping her arm. Aria's anxiety spiked momentarily, thinking it was the pock-marked man who had grabbed her, but the relief from being wrong was only momentary. "You, you're one of us. Can't you convince him not to take so much?" She begged, her eyes watery like she was on the verge of tears. Aria couldn't blame her. She had three children, along with her husband. Arlong's tribute had been enormous.

But that was not her problem. She could not allow herself to pity anyone here. Aria fizzled out of the woman's grasp, ignoring her look of shock. "I'm not 'one of you.' "Aria said, her voice hard and her eyes narrowed. "Don't think otherwise. I'm a pirate." The phrase felt strange on her tongue, but it rang true in her mind.

"Please!" The woman persisted, clutching her clenched fist to her breast. "My children will die, otherwise!"

Arlong cackled at that. His long legs let him stride up behind Aria, and he roughly patted her shoulder in a manner that felt oddly prideful. "You'll have to do better than that to convince my hermit, human. Aria-chan had no hesitation in killing a child on Mata Nui."

The woman covered her mouth in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. Aria glowered weakly at Arlong. "Don't make me out to be some heartless murderer." That comment had stung, and she wished he wouldn't brag about it.

Arlong grinned down at her, bloodlust radiating freely from him. "You said it yourself, Aria-chan. You're a pirate. Be proud in your accomplishments, instead of behaving like this pathetic sniveling human."

"Terrorizing the weak isn't what I'm here for, captain." Aria reminded. She would rather be a bystander, watching Arlong do his work instead of actively participating. It didn't make her involvement any less implicit, but she preferred to react instead of take initiative.

"Don't worry, you'll be testing your weapon before long. But have some fun in the meantime." Arlong turned his grin towards the woman. The woman paled and honestly Aria was surprised she hadn't turned tail and run. Or passed out. She looked like she was close to hyperventilating.

"You're heartless!" She managed to cry out, in a surprising show of bravery or stupidity. Aria wasn't sure which. But then the woman finally came to her senses, and fled.

"Wow, you'll never find a woman if you keep making veiled threats like that." Aria said dryly.

Arlong cackled despite the insult. "As if I would want a weak-hearted human." He squeezed her shoulder, before pushing her towards their next mark. Aria pursed her lips, shoving down the dejected feeling his words made.

It wound up being late afternoon before they finished Grasse, and Aria was desperately hoping they would run into a fight in Arles. There were too many people, human and fishman alike, and the tension was getting higher and higher by the minute. Aria was suspicious and anxious, and she wanted to get rid of those feelings. Worse, the feeling of being watched had never left, and Arlong was getting visibly annoyed by her wariness. It didn't help that every so often she would catch the old man out of the corner of her eye, only for Arlong to push her along by the small of her back.

Before they left Grasse, Kuroobi had found the d'Maitre to ask her about a specific person they had been unable to locate. She had been trying to urge families to go back to work despite the approaching dusk, in order to distract them from their new living situation and tyrant. "This man doesn't have a residence listed, but is marked as a citizen. Where can we find him?"

"Grenouille? Ah...He's always a hard one to track down." The d'Maitre replied, her face wrinkling as she frowned.

"You're not thinking of hiding him from us, are you? He's quite elderly, but that won't stop us, you know." Kuroobi threatened, shifting his stance so he towered over her.

The d'Maitre scoffed, and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, child, no. Out of all of us, Grenouille is probably the most wealthy. He's the reason Cinnabar is so successful as a distillery and perfumery."

Kuroobi frowned at that information. "Then why isn't his residence listed here?"

The d'Maitre shrugged. "He is very eccentric and likes to keep to himself. All he cares about is the world of perfumes. He was raised on the other side of the island, so sometimes he will live there for periods of times, but other times he will live in the other cities. There was even a period of time where he vanished and lived on the volcano for a number of years."

Kuroobi came to an understanding. "So he's a hermit, then."

The d'Maitre nodded. "I will warn you, however. His eccentric nature and his genius have blended together to create something...unnatural. Keep an eye on that girl of yours, unless you want her to disappear."

Kuroobi didn't know how to take the d'Maitre's warning. "...I see." He said, even though he didn't. What danger could an old man be? "We appreciate your cooperation, human."

The d'Maitre hummed and gave him a disapproving look that Kuroobi understood. _Better than dying_ , she had wordlessly communicated. Arlong would have appreciated her mild defiance, but Kuroobi took it as a problem to fix later.

Arles was not very far away from Grasse, allowing the band of pirates to quickly move on to their next target. They were tired from rounding up the humans and taking their money, but they had been expecting a fight and were still on edge.

Thankfully Arles was just a small market town that prepared the perfume and goods for transport. It was more akin to Cocoyashi's population, and Kuroobi promised that it would be quick. If tensions rose too high, it wouldn't be a drastic problem if a fight broke out.

Kuroobi had passed along the d'Maitre's message to Arlong. With a huff, the captain decided it would be better to keep the scientist out of trouble. Arlong selected an inn for them to rest in for the night, baring his teeth at the woman at the desk who actually had the courage to ask if he was paying, and left Aria there.

Aria grumbled to herself as she entered the room alone, tossing her hiking boots next to the bed.

She knew he'd been getting fed up with her wariness, but being sidelined stung. Even moreso that they'd been willing to listen to the d'Maitre over her when she had warned them about being watched. Aria had been expected to battle if a fight did break out, so she intended to take out her frustrations out then. But now there might not being anything to vent her anxiety, if she was left to wait here. With luck they might remember her to help them fight, but Arles seemed to be sleepier and more peaceful than Grasse.

With nothing more to do besides wait to be called upon, Aria decided to try and relax. She climbed into the shower and turned the spigot until warm water gushed out. Despite her inability to test her invention and Arlong's irritation at her Aria was grateful; she finally felt alone. The feel of eyes on her had finally disappeared. The tension seeped out of her as she stood in the shower and considered the future.

Aria couldn't believe their good luck. Grasse and Arles were being taken over smoothly. The only issues Aria had faced were her own dislike of people and her exhaustion while away from home. If she could just curb those problems, then Aria was sure she could become more and more at ease with her new life. It wasn't like Arlong demanded much from her, after all. He had been more than content to just have her trailing after him, almost proudly showing off his strength and callousness to her. She wouldn't deny that seeing how he treated other humans made her realize just how much he let her get away with.

Aria wasn't sure if she should feel smug or relieved. On one hand, it was proof that she was slowly becoming an actual member of the crew. On the other, it was a reminder that Arlong was cruel to those he didn't care for and it was only through his greed did he find her interesting enough to keep alive. The untrusting Aquan part of her mind reminded her that she needed to keep him greedy, so he wouldn't turn on her. But her lonely heart just wanted her to belong somewhere, even if it was with her merciless captain.

Aria shook her head, forcing herself out of her warring needs. She was alone and safe. She could relax and not worry about these things right now. She ducked her head under the showerhead, letting the water soak her hair. It was calming.

Even the water smelled nicely here, Aria couldn't help but notice. It took her a moment to place the scent, but the water must have been treated so that it smelled of roses. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She wondered if Arlong would be interested in learning the process, given how he tried to make his suite as exuberant and luxurious as possible.

Aria had trouble opening her eyes. Her mind was getting hazy, and her limbs heavy. Was she getting weak from being wet too long? No, the water wasn't saltwater. It was still warm, causing the shower curtain to fog. She wasn't getting hypothermic. Then why couldn't she summon the energy to move?

That was her last thought before she fell unconscious.

* * *

Nami had spent most of the second day trying to figure out Aria's chore list. It seemed needlessly complicated, and she really wished she had asked Aria more questions. When she was finally done with the farmwork, she felt sweaty and gross and there was an endless amount of dirt caked under her pretty fingernails.

Nami had took a long bath, swiping some of Aria's bath scents. She relaxed for a good while in the tub, closing her eyes and enjoying the hot water. She wondered what everyone was up to. If she was on the mainland, she would have snuck out to see Nojiko today. Nami huffed. Perhaps that was the reason Arlong had left her here. Here she would be forced to work, or die of boredom.

Nami dried off and put on some nice, clean clothes and threw her previous outfit in the washing machine. It was a bit of a struggle to reach the dials, but Nami managed. Then Nami made herself lunch, grateful that she had helped Bellemere in the kitchen and had learned how to make scrambled eggs. It was actually supposed to be an omelette, but halfway through Nami realized it wasn't meant to be.

As she ate, Nami peered through the screen door. The library was full of bookshelves and safes, and Nami wouldn't deny that she was tempted to test her thievery skills. After putting her dirty plate in the sink, she tried the door, and frowned when she found it locked.

Nami tried picking it open, but quickly grew frustrated. Her lockpicking skills still weren't good enough. She slumped against the door, crossing her arms as she pouted. Snooping in there would have to wait another day.

She didn't want to get to work just yet. There was still plenty of daylight left. Perhaps she could go explore the island? It wasn't like she hadn't wondered what the rest of the island was like. At the very least, she could make a map of it. Nami grinned at the thought. She pushed herself up off the floor and ran upstairs to grab a pen and paper. Then she was out the door, just barely remembering to put her sandals on.

Nami ran through the forest path until she hit the beach. She made a note of how far it was from the island's lone dock to Aria's house. Then she started walking alongside the ocean, noting the geography and topography of the land.

Wilderness clearly claimed most of the island. It wasn't too surprising to Nami. She had been to other, smaller islands in the archipelago with Bellemere and Genzo. Most of them were similarly uninhabited, only visited when people went to check their fishing traps or to forage. Nami still clearly remembered the last time she had gone out with Genzo.

It had been winter, and while that didn't mean Nami was free from constantly eating tangerines, it did mean that there was less of them to go around. Bellemere usually spent the autumn months preserving as many tangerines as she could, and selling those preserves so that they would have enough money to last through the winter when people were stingy with their money and reluctant to buy fresh fruits. As with previous years, their funds were stretched taut, and so they were relying on Genzo's hunting and trapping.

The island had been colder than Conomi's mainland, with no man-made buildings to retain heat. There was fresh snow on the ground, and it had taken a lot of energy just to keep up with Genzo and Bellemere while trudging through the stuff. Nami remembered holding both of their hands so that she wouldn't get left behind.

They managed to leave with a few hares and several fish, and Nojiko had found cranberries and a squirrel's hoard of nuts. Nami recalled the grin on Bellemere's face with more effort than it use to.

Nami wondered if this island got much snowfall. The mainland usually only got a little, the buildings causing the weather to be less intense. But places like this, with only a few buildings, would be more susceptible to bad weather. Nami would have to remember to ask Aria how she handled hurricane season.

Eventually the beach ended, giving way to ledges that suddenly dropped off into the sea. Nami spotted several large boars, nearly quadruple her size, and decided she ought to stay close to the house. Their tusks looked as menacing as Arlong's teeth and rostrum, and Nami had heard plenty of stories of kings being killed by them. Nami had always thought Dr. Nako had been kidding, but now she knew better.

Nami cut through the forest, nimbly jumping over roots and rocks and small bushes.

She frowned when she saw a wooden shack out in the woods. She was nowhere near the clearing yet. Neither Aria nor Hachi had mentioned this building. Tentatively she approached it.

It was a small shack, perhaps only with three hundred square feet of space. There weren't any windows, and only a single small wooden door for the entrance. Nami frowned at the lock on it. She should be able to pick that, right?

Nami grinned as it clicked open. She opened the door, and coughed at the smell of dust.

Nami gripped the doorframe and peered inside. Her eyes widened at what she saw. There was nothing but books, stacked high to the ceiling. Nami had thought there was no way Aria could have even more books, but apparently she was wrong.

Nami pulled out a book at random, flipping it open. The pages were musty and the book smelled old. It had been in this shed for a while. It looked like it was a journal, with handwritten notes and drawings. The pictures depicted strange animals Nami had never seen, one of which was labeled ' _Jellybear_.'

Nami shut the journal and glanced at the cover. There was a name in the upper right-hand corner. ' _Brio Reed_ ,' it read, scrawled in the same penmanship as its contents.

Reed? Wasn't that Aria's surname? Nami was sure it was. Nami set the book aside delicately. She would take that home with her. Aria wouldn't miss it.

Nami looked through a couple more items on the shelf. More of them were journals. Nami's eyes widened when she found one written by Aria herself. It wasn't a personal diary, but it was still filled with scrawled notes and information. Nami stole that, too.

Even if Nami found the island boring, she could at least find out more about the hermit with these journals. Perhaps she could even find something to convince Aria to work against Arlong. Nami made her way back to the house, flipping through the journals slowly.

* * *

Hachi wished he could be spending the week at Aria's right about now. Oh, sure, it always _sounds_ like Arlong's given him an easy job when he's told to go destroy ships. He certainly prefers it to plundering and intimidating people out of their hard-earned money. But these shitty humans just insisted on trying to escape, like they could actually outswim him and Chew.

Their feeble boat made a cracking sound as Chew spat water bullets, riddling it with holes. Within seconds it was taking in more water than the humans could dump out. Hachi caught up to them, and with the same amount of effort it would take him to lift Nami he hoisted the boat over his head and brought it back to the docks. The humans wailed pitifully the whole way.

Well, almost the whole way. Uruuru got curious and poked her head out of the water. The screaming stopped shortly after, and instead a horrified silence followed.

Hachi dumped the boat on the pier and gave the humans a stern lecture about running off. Clearly there was a dangerous Sea King in their waters, and they should stay safe on the mainland. Tearfully the humans had agreed before fleeing. Chew rolled his eyes at their fleeing forms.

"You're too nice, Hachi." Chew sighed. "If Arlong-san founds out they weren't killed for fleeing he might get pissed. You remember what he did to that guy who ran away from Goza, chuu."

Hachi grimaced. Yeah, he remembered. Arlong's callousness wasn't anything new, though Hachi had hoped it would diminish now that Aria and Nami were around. "Nyuu, don't let him find out then."

Chew shook his head in exasperation. Hachi got away with a lot of things, but sometimes he pushed his luck too far. Chew hoped it wouldn't backfire on his childhood friend.

Chew shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off. Hachi, not knowing what else to do, followed after him. They needed to gather some information, Chew supposed. There were countless little towns to take care of on an island like this. If Conomi had taught them anything, it was to keep no stone unturned. Who knew what sort of people might be living off the grid?

Something caught Chew's eye, and he slowed. Two humans were kneeling on the ground, half-hidden behind some garbage in an alleyway. It was suspicious, and Chew wanted to find out what their deal was.

Chew leaned up against a building, keeping an eye on the two teenage girls who were consoling each other. Hachi noticed them slower, and hid worse, but the girls were too preoccupied with themselves to notice their surroundings.

"Maybe Grenouille will save us from these monsters…" The first teenage girl sobbed.

Chew's lip curled in distaste. Humans always thought of them as monsters, didn't they? Even when they had just been resupplying on an island, they were never spared the hateful gazes. Not even when they had Koala to show they meant no harm.

The girl beside her scoffed. "Save us? That's unlikely. He's never done a damn thing for us. He's just made us scared, like these sea creatures."

"But he wasn't executed because he was so noble and valiant, right? That's what all the papers said." She sounded so hopeful it was almost nauseating.

Chew nearly laughed. What sort of noble and valiant man would be nearly executed? It wasn't like this was the Pirate King they were discussing.

The second teenager hesitated, as if considering her words. "...He's the devil, Ada. He wasn't executed because somehow he manipulated them." She clenched her shaking fists. "Don't count on the devil to save us from pirates."

Chew and Hachi shared a glance. This person sounded dangerous. Chew hardly wanted to talk to these shitty girls who considered them monsters, but like hell he would let that stop him from scoping out a threat. Warily he approached them. "Who's this devil you're talking about, chuu?"

The first girl wailed at the sight of Chew and Hachi, big fat globs of tears rolling down her cheek. The second scowled up at them, and held onto her friend tightly. "Why do you want to know?" She hissed.

Chew shrugged, offering them a laid-back smile. "If he's a problem for you, we'll take care of him. Arlong-san doesn't like people terrorizing his tenants, chuu."

The two girls shared a glance, the first one sniffling pitifully before nodding. The second one stood, keeping a hand on her friend's shoulder. "His name is Grenouille. He's a perfumer. A lot of the older generations herald him as the savior of this island."

"But you just called him a devil, nyuu." Hachi protested, crossing his many arms.

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated before speaking. "...He likes to kidnap women and kill them." Her shoulders trembled as she prepared herself for what she was about to say. "He killed my older sister when I was a kid, and they found her scalp and dress buried out behind the shack he lived in."

The first girl gasped before stammering, "K-kari, I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

Hachi made a disgusted face.

"Shit…" Chew murmured, before running a hand through his hair. This guy was definitely the sort that they'd have to get rid of. Chew hadn't been lying when he said Arlong didn't like his tenants terrorized by anyone other than him. They couldn't make the crew money if they were dead. "Where does he live now?"

The second girl shrugged. "He's a drifter. If you can find him, don't give him any mercy. He'll turn it against you."

Chew and Hachi shared a glance. Neither of them held any pity for the man, if what the girls said was true. Hachi wouldn't feel bad about getting rid of a human like that.

"We'll keep an eye out, nyuu."

* * *

Arles was just as much of a bore as Grasse. Arlong was disappointed. He had been so eager to fight, his fist itching to go through someone's face. Or a wall. Or anything, really.

After he dropped Aria off at the inn, he had wandered around town, intimidating humans and taking whatever he liked from them. Arles was a richer town than Grasse, but that wasn't saying much. It seemed like Cinnabar was an oligarchy, where only the most elite had wealth and kept it for their businesses. In the average household there weren't many interesting trinkets, and there wasn't a sea-chart or a treasure map in the damn place, but he found a few books that looked like they might be up Aria's alley.

As it grew late into the evening, Arlong's stomach growled, and he realized he had been so busy that he hadn't bothered to eat since the morning. Kakuzu had been giving out food earlier, but the jellyfish doctor was nowhere in sight now. Arlong decided he'd intimidate a human for some food, and then head back to the inn. Aria was probably hungry now, too, and Arlong was ready to tuck in for the day. Despite the lack of resistance, it had been an eventful takeover.

Arlong waltzed over to the nearest shop that sold food, and grinned menacingly at the man behind the counter. "Hi there. You wouldn't happen to have some samples for your new landlord, would you?"

The worker nearly pissed himself, but promptly handed over three containers worth of food.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Arlong said, and left. He caught the worker collapsing into a chair not soon after, their head held in their palms. These humans really were a pathetic bunch. Sniveling and cowering at him even when he just walked by. It made his blood boil, knowing that humans were so fearful of him that he couldn't do anything without them tripping over themselves. At least the food smelled good.

Arlong took his time walking to the inn. Arles was already very scenic during the day, but the night atmosphere was pleasant, too. Now that most of the humans were off the street and in their homes, it almost felt perfect. Arlong enjoyed having pretty places like this under his control.

When Arlong finally reached the inn, he wondered what Aria had been up to all this time. It had been several hours since he left her. He doubted she would have gone exploring.

Arlong stepped into the room and found it empty. Aria was nowhere in sight. Arlong wondered if she had stepped out for a moment, but given her paranoia earlier it seemed unlikely.

The entire room smelled of water, indicating that Aria had showered while she had stayed in the room, but the door was open. Arlong knew that even when Aria hadn't expected company, she always bathed with the door closed.

His eyes narrowed, and he stepped into the bathroom and found that it was indeed empty. She'd been out of the shower for a while, given that the mirror wasn't fogged up and the humidity in the air had dispersed. Only the lingering scent of water and perfume remained in the air.

Surprise hit him as he noticed that some of Aria's clothes were still laying on the countertop. A fresh set alongside the clothing she had been wearing earlier.

Arlong cursed under his breath and glanced around the room. The last time he had seen something like that...No, there wasn't time to be distracted by memories.

Aria's boots had been kicked off near the bed, and were still there. Her bag laid on the bed as well, and when he checked inside, Aria's weapon was still there. Arlong swore again. She never would have left without it. He had seen the way she clenched the bag protectively whenever a human had gotten too close.

There was only one explanation for her absence. One that he was more familiar with than he would like. The woman had gone and gotten herself kidnapped.

With a final swear, Arlong huffed and slammed the door on the way out. The food he had gotten laid forgotten. He shoved his hands in his pockets, clenching his fists so tightly his fingernails dug into his palm.

The crew that remained with Arlong were finished with their duties, and were thankfully already lingering around the inn when Arlong barged out. They looked tired, and Arlong sympathized with the fact that they wouldn't be getting any rest anytime soon.

"Men! Our human sister has gone missing. Fan out and search for her." Arlong bellowed, watching as surprise flickered on the faces of his nakama. They had been expecting to eat and sleep and maybe party, not get sent out looking for the hermit. A few of them had already even started drinking.

Kakuzu looked at him skeptically. "Missing? Are you sure she didn't just go out for a walk?" Several of the crew nodded in agreement, and someone murmured that all they wanted to do was take a long rest.

Arlong had to resist scoffing. "The hermit felt like she was being watched. I don't think she would have left without good reason." Kakuzu frowned deeply at that information.

Kakuzu nodded, and folded his tentacle-like hands together. "I'll gather a group and we can search the nearby forest, and the rest can scout the town. If she has been taken, we'll need to find her soon."

Arlong was grateful that at least Kakuzu was taking this seriously. His crew must have forgotten that humans were monstrous creatures. It had been over half a decade since any of them had been to the Fishman District, but Arlong could recall far too well what life there was like. Thieves and slavers and rapists and murders were the only types of humans that ever ventured down to their downtrodden area. It wasn't uncommon for people to vanish without a trace, and for Arlong it had happened far too many times.

There was no doubt in Arlong's mind that if they didn't hurry, Aria's life was at stake. Even if it hadn't been the old man that had taken Aria, it could be any one of these pathetic humans. Arlong could very well see someone going after Aria out of revenge, to use as a bargaining chip or something worse. The way that woman had shrieked ' _you're heartless!_ ' at them rang in his head like a warning bell.

With that in mind, Arlong ordered his men. "Search every house! Don't be _gentle_ about it, either!" Arlong snarled, clenching his fist and sending it right through a wall. It crumbled under his strength, but Arlong felt no better about his lack of control in this situation. "One of these pitiful, ungrateful humans might've taken our nakama as a hostage!"

That seemed to spark some righteous anger in the crew. "Yes, captain!" They shouted in unison.

They were going to tear this town apart.

* * *

AN: ooo shit's going down

chapter title is once again from utawarerumono and it's really ominous and i love it

The next couple chapters are _mostly_ written, so hopefully it won't be like another month for the next update. Anyway, be prepared for Arlong-typical violence for the next few chapters.


	22. A Bitter Pill to Swallow

**Chapter 22:** A Bitter Pill to Swallow

tw: kidnapping

* * *

By the time Arlong had hit his twenties, he had mostly figured out how to support Shyarly and himself. It involved a lot of working at the tavern with Chew and Kuroobi for most of the week, where he mostly worked nights unless he was pulling a double. It worked out well, because it meant he could walk Shyarly to and from school nearly every day.

That task was important, because the Age of Piracy had begun, and greedy humans were flooding the island in hopes of making it to the New World. There had been a spike in kidnappings, murders, and every other sort of crime you could imagine. And now that Hachi was back from the surface, Arlong was loathe to let any of his nakama walk around unguarded, let alone his baby sister.

After working all night, Arlong would grab breakfast from the tavern's kitchen and bring it home for Shyarly. Then he walked her to school, which was one in a nicer neighborhood in Los Angelfish, glaring at any human who dared come in their vicinity. He either went home and passed out until it was time to pick Shyarly up or went to make some money doing sidejobs for a few hours. Shyarly's school wasn't cheap, and it ate into their budget more than Arlong would prefer. Either way, Arlong made sure he was capable of picking her up after school. Then he'd make her dinner with whatever they still had in the fridge, get in a quick nap, and he'd go to work.

Arlong was well aware he doted on Shyarly far more than he ought to for a child being raised in the Fishman District, but like hell he would let her need to live like he had. Pickpocketing and scrounging through garbage for food were things he would gladly let her do without.

But as luck would have it, all of Arlong's careful planning slowly went more and more awry. There became more and more days when Arlong would have to work doubles to keep the apartment from falling to shambles or to keep Shyarly dressed. Hachi was more than happy to walk Shyarly to school most days when Arlong was unavailable, but the week of the incident was also a week when a Celestial Dragon was going to be on Fishman Island. Hachi had to keep a low profile and stay out of the well-off districts, and Arlong couldn't put any blame on his nakama for that.

It was an unlucky day. Everyone that Arlong could usually rely on to keep an eye on his sister had work, so no one would be able to walk her from school. That should have been the first sign to Arlong that he ought to call off his scheduled double, but he'd gotten far too trashed the night before to be thinking right. Though even if he wanted to call the shift off, they couldn't afford it. Hachi was always so eager to cook, but he was often too scatterbrained to keep an eye on the food. More than once it had resulted in kitchen fires, and Arlong was stuck paying for the repairs lest the landlord kick him out.

After ensuring Shyarly knew to go straight home, how to get home, and not to talk to any strangers on her way home, Arlong reluctantly let her walk from school alone that day. It felt wrong, letting her do that, but Arlong reassured himself that it was something Shyarly would eventually need to do by herself. He just...didn't think it should be _this_ soon. She hadn't even made any friends at her school yet, being so shy and anxious.

Arlong's jaw fell open at the sight of the apartment door. It was barely hanging on its hinges, the frame twisted and ruined. He swore, and nearly ripped the door off himself in his haste to find Shyarly. The hallway was a mess, with shoe-prints all over. Shyarly was going to have a fit if she saw that, and the thought made Arlong's heart race. Did Shyarly even make it home? Or did some asshole follow her and take her?

Arlong called out to her, unabashed panic in his voice. He tore through the apartment, looking for her. The kitchen was empty and so was the living room. Her bedroom was empty, with no signs of a struggle. His bedroom was empty, though it looked like someone had tore through it looking for valuables. Arlong scoffed. They wouldn't find anything.

There was one last place Arlong could check. He opened the bathroom door, surprised to find the lights on inside. The bathroom was empty, but the jacket Shyarly loved lay on the countertop. Shyarly wouldn't have left without it unless she was forced to. Anger welled up within him, and Arlong stormed through the apartment, looking for _any_ hint as to who dared take his baby sister.

The only luck of the day was that he found a small emblem on the floor of his room, torn off by the jagged wooden dresser he owned. It was a jolly roger, and Arlong sneered at it hatefully before pocketing it. He knew who to go after now. They'd pay.

Arlong managed to round up his brethren, several tense hours later, and they raided the immigration docks after all the surface light faded from the mangrove roots.

It was the first time he ever went on a rampage. The ship was torn to pieces as Arlong killed the asshole who dared take his sister. He saw nothing but _red_ as he ripped the pirate captain apart, human blood in his teeth and his hair and his clothes. Chew, Kuroobi, and Hachi made quick work of the remaining pirates, leaving none of them alive.

It had been so damn cathartic that it was a wonder that he managed to stop. It was only because of Chew that he was able to stop, his childhood friend dragging him away from the scene, Arlong raging all the way home until Shyarly woke up from her drug-induced sleep and asked why he was covered in blood.

Arlong was ashamed to answer that, even though it had been for her sake. None of them could look her in the eye or answer her question. But Shyarly solemnly admitted she knew what had happened. She had foreseen it in a dream. She had known the lengths he would go to protect her, before it had even happened.

It almost made the whole event worse, in Arlong's eyes. His baby sister had _known_ this was going to happen.

Weeks passed. Arlong and the rest of his makeshift family fixed his apartment, pooling together their meager wages to ensure it was safe and secure again.

Arlong decided he was sick of these shitty humans acting like they owned the place. Like they could come down into his territory and take _his_ nakama and _his_ sister. If they were going to kidnap and kill and enslave his brethren, he wasn't going to stand by idly. He'd kill them first. No human would _dare_ do anything like this ever again.

So he took Jiro's advice and became a pirate. He was fed up with working at the tavern and its disgusting human customers. He had seen the amount of wealth those human pirates had. All he needed to do to survive was take it from them.

Arlong never looked back after that decision.

It had been a long, long time since then. But Arlong recalled the anger and the disgust just as easily. It fueled him as he kicked open a door, and his narrowed, hate-filled eyes settled on the human couple inside.

"I'm looking for a human woman."

They cowered and it filled him with delight.

* * *

Aria woke up to the feeling of something slimy wrapped around her. Initially, she thought it was just on her arms, but as her mind became less hazy, she realized that it was _everywhere_. Startled, she snapped her eyes open and found that she was wrapped in some sort of thick, fatty coating from her neck to her ankles. She didn't know what it was, but the texture alone rubbing against her bare skin made her gag.

The next thing Aria noticed was that it was dark, and wherever she was being held captive was dimly lit. She was tied down to a flat surface, and the ceiling and walls were stony, almost as if she were in a cave. But her bindings weren't made of Sea Prism Stone, she noted. Her anxiety spiked and her breathing became ragged. What sort of sick fuck would do this to her?

Biting her bottom lip, Aria wondered if she should escape now or bide her time. She turned her head and could see no one around. The room was spacious and filled with many machines, some that Aria recognized from the distilleries she had peeked into earlier while her crewmates had been rounding up the workers. But she was naked. Even if she managed to escape, she would need to steal some clothing, and then find out where she was so that she could meet back up with the crew. Maybe even lead them back here.

God, she was naked. Who knew what weird shit her kidnapper could have done to her, or was planning to do with her? He had already wrapped her up in this slime. The thought made her heart race anxiously, and she chewed at her lip. It was very hot, wherever she was, and she was sweating against the strange bindings she was in.

At the very least, she didn't feel sore or abused in anyway besides being held captive. She counted that as a blessing. If her kidnapper had been more malicious or covetous...Aria shook the thought from her head. Becoming frantic about what could have happened wouldn't help her.

She needed to go now, Aria decided. Even if she didn't find out who kidnapped her, she would at least be able to tell her crew where they had taken her.

The padding of bare feet echoed through the air, and Aria mentally swore. She had dawdled too long. Now she would probably have to fight them. If they were going to let her see her face, Aria recalled from her Abroader training, then they meant to kill her. But she wasn't going to let them, oh no. She still had far too many experiments to run before she could die in a pit like this.

Aria fizzled out of the weird slime and the rope, and was aghast when she realized some of the mixture still lingered on her skin. She had just showered before being kidnapped, too. Her hair was mostly dry now, she realized, and so it must have been at least an hour since she had been taken. With an internal curse, she realized that they had followed her to the inn and taken her while she had been safe. The thought sent shivers up her spine, but also infuriated her further. How dare they invade her privacy? How dare they kidnap her? How dare they do these things to her? She still couldn't see anyone around, and so she decided to linger in an intangible state, her body humming quietly as she angrily and impatiently waited to see who she would be fleeing from. She wanted retribution for this, and she doubted Arlong would mind.

"Interesting." Came a scratchy, worn voice. It was barely above a whisper, but Aria took note of everything about it. It didn't sound like it got much use, and the person speaking was obviously elderly and male. "Her scent changed, somehow. Yet she doesn't smell like death."

If Aria had eyes, they would have widened. He could smell her? From how far away he was? Escaping would be much more difficult than she expected, if so. She wanted to go now, to flee as fast as she could, but now a confrontation was necessary. She _needed_ to see her enemy if they could track her. Her anxiety throbbed through her intangible body painfully as she waited, until finally the man was visible.

 _Oh_ she was going to have _words_ with Arlong. It was the half-burned, pock-marked creep from Grasse. Anger burned within her even hotter, now that she knew who had taken her, and she wanted nothing more than to punch him into the ground.

The old man's eyes didn't glance towards the table where she had been held captive once. Instead, they landed directly on her intangible form. "Oh, so that's why the scent changed." He said, as if he wasn't concerned at all about the fact that that Aria was no longer tied down. Aria's blood froze in her veins, because there was no way his nose was so good that he could detect her like _that_ when she was intangible. She was _invisible_ while she was intangible, nothing more than a hum of static. So how could he be able to? Panic rushed through her, but she roughly stomped down on it.

"I know who you are. I know what you look like." She said. If the old man was surprised about how distorted and gravelly she sounded while she was intangible, he didn't show it. In fact, he didn't seem concerned at all, and that returned her fire more than her threats had. "You will regret this."

With her threat looming in the air, she crackled past him, never becoming visible.

She didn't get far before the smell overwhelmed her. It was sickeningly sweet and salty this time, like the sea breeze but painful, and it made her feel weak. She was unable to focus on keeping her form up, and she bit the inside of her mouth by accident as she skidded into the rock floor beneath her. She could feel her skin had been scraped in several places, and she was going to have a nasty bruise on her face.

"I can't let you escape." The old man said. "I need your scent." He began walking towards her, and Aria pushed herself up, forcing herself to ignore the pain from her torn skin and the taste of blood in her mouth. "Both of them."

The sound witch snarled at the old man, and the air crackled as she raised her hand and made the air vibrate with a shrieking frequency. Her power was lessened greatly, and it took much more effort than normal to summon the noise. The creep winced in pain, and covered his ears with little less than a whine. "Stay away from me! I won't hesitate to kill you next time!" Aria bluffed, trying to ignore how her legs wobbled as she stood.

She ran through the tunnel until she found a ladder that led up to a hatch. She climbed up as quickly as she could, and covered the hatch with the nearest heavy furniture she could find. Aria took a few moments to catch her breath, now that she was sure she wouldn't be in immediate danger, and realized she was just in some barely kept together shack. She had used a heavy trunk to block the trap door, but even it looked to be falling apart from neglect. The walls rattled with the wind, and Aria could feel a draft. Despite the poor condition of the building, it looked like someone lived here. Her captor?

There was a dresser, and Aria quickly rummaged through it, looking for something to wear. She pulled out a tunic that covered just barely enough and tossed it on, then grabbed some sandals that were too large but would have to do. She was still horrified that he had taken her while she was naked, and it was taking a monumental amount of effort to focus on what she needed to do instead of blindly panicking. She didn't know how far away she was from a town, and she didn't want to injure herself any more as she went through unknown terrain. She would need to be careful as she fled.

A loud thump came from the trap door, causing her to shriek, and Aria gave it a single worried glance before running out of the shack. She turned to sound the second she escaped, flying into the air to get a good idea of which direction to go.

To the east she could see that the ocean wasn't far away, and the island's center volcano was much further than it had been in Arles.

Doing some rough guesswork, Aria assumed she would need to go southwest to meet up with the others. The only problems were that she couldn't see any light pollution indicating where a town would be and that there was a sizable forest surrounding the shack. With a swear, Aria decided to leave it to chance and just fly until there was no more forest. With luck, it would end near a town.

Aria was grateful that she couldn't feel the wind as she flew, knowing it would be cold and bitter against her bare legs and arms. The forest ended much quicker than she expected, but thankfully there was a small, nondescript village at the end of it. It was too small to be a notable target for Arlong, with there only being twenty or so houses. Chew and Hachi probably took care of the residents already, or they would tomorrow. It must have been very late, as no one was awake, and not a single light was visible in any of the houses.

The hermit warred with herself, wanting to ask where Arles was but also not wanting to interact with any of the people. If they were working with her captor, then...Aria didn't want to consider that outcome. As she quietly crossed through, she found a dirt path that looked worn enough to be a travel route. With luck, Aria reasoned, it could lead to Arles or another small village. She followed the path formlessly, not wanting to be seen and reported, for what felt like hours until she reached another town.

She was grateful to see people awake and moving, and even more grateful to see that they were her crewmates. Despite her anxiety and exhaustion, she couldn't help but laugh in triumph. She caught a fishman off guard as she reformed in front of him with an audible crackle.

"Where is Arlong?" She asked, her voice sounding so much more calm than how she felt.

The fishman balked at her. "Wh-where _were_ you, hermit-girl?" He looked her up and down, visible concern over-riding the stupefied anger that had been in his voice. "And what's with...Where _were_ you?"

Aria grimaced. She hadn't expected a warm response or anything, but explaining where she had been was going to be difficult. More importantly, he never answered her. "Never mind that, either take me to Arlong or take me back to the inn."

"I don't know where Arlong is." He admitted. "They've been turning this town upside down looking for you, and Kuroobi went down to Grasse to talk to some old bat."

That surprised her. She'd expected them to be out partying, honestly. Aria hadn't even expected them to notice she was gone. Now that she looked around, everyone did seem to be very anxious, although a few of them had noticed her and stopped what they were doing.

There was also a lot of damage on the surrounding buildings. Several doors were smashed in, walls now bore cracks and holes, and debris littered the floor. Aria wondered what happened to cause that. Was there a fight? She caught a cowering child looking outside through a smashed window, one who visibly recoiled when a fishman walked by. Did the crew do this? Why?

"Oh...Well, could you take me back to the inn?" As Aria became aware of people staring at her, she became uncomfortable, but tried to keep her calm facade up as much as possible. It wasn't working as well as it did in Cocoyashi, but perhaps that was because she was...under-dressed. She tugged at the tunic, as if she could will it to go down to her knees instead of her thighs.

The fishman grunted, and seemed to realize she was uncomfortable. He found someone to go find Arlong and spread the word that the search was over, before taking her to the inn. He disappeared after dropping her off, much to Aria's relief.

Unfortunately, the room didn't feel as safe as it had earlier in the day. There were no eyes watching her, but that didn't mean anything. Aria spied her bag, and panicked. What if the kidnapper had taken her weapon?

She quickly rummaged through it, and was grateful it was still there. With an exhausted sigh, she collapsed onto the bed. But she couldn't relax. Every sound made her jump, and she kept sniffing the air, expecting that sea-scent she had smelled in the tunnel.

Wait a moment...Aria grimaced and rushed into the bathroom. She turned the shower spigot, and the water just smelled like water. It didn't smell like rose-water at all! Perhaps smell would be an indicator that her kidnapper was around and aiming for her. The knowledge that he had definitely taken her while she was showering completely unnerved her, however, and she backed away from the bathroom with wary, watchful eyes.

The main room's door slammed open, and Aria was jolted out of her thoughts. She tensed, ready to fight.

"Aria! Where the hell are you?" Oh. It was only Arlong. She sighed in relief.

"In here." She called, and stepped out of the bathroom to meet him. He was alone, thankfully, though she could see men loitering in the hallway outside before he closed the door.

The saw shark did not look pleased, his veins bulging in his neck and arms as the muscles were tensed with rage. His eyes narrowed further when he gave her an appraising look. "Where were you?!" He snapped. Aria bristled at his unabashed anger. He had the nerve to ask her that?

"In some creepy lab hidden under a shack in the woods a town over." She snapped back, She wanted to cross her arms in anger, but the urge to tug the tunic down was too strong. Aria settled on making sure one arm would keep her decent, and the other gripped her bicep.

Aria's response seemed to take Arlong aback. "What?"

Aria chewed at her lip before responding. She reluctantly shoved down her rage. Getting angry back wouldn't help the situation, and she knew she needed to report efficiently. "That creep that was following me all day took me." She grumbled, and Arlong swore under his breath. "He used perfume in the water or something. When I woke up, I was tied down in his distillery. He said...he needed my scent, I think." Aria shivered at the thought. In retrospect, the guy was even creepier than she assumed, and her wariness felt even more justified. "I don't know what he thought he was doing, but he was able to weaken my powers with some sort of perfume."

The more she thought about the situation in hindsight, the more disturbed she became. Arlong seemed to be considering the information. They were left to their own thoughts for quite a few moments, Arlong's skin growing less taut against his veins as he slowly relaxed.

Arlong examined her face, his webbed fingers hovering over her skin, noting the bruise welling up on her cheek. Aria watched his eyes flit over the rest of her, appraising her appearance. Briefly, she wondered if he was going to drag Kakuzu over to examine her. The thought of what would happen during a proper examination made her stomach churn, and she desperately hoped she could avoid that. It would offer some peace of mind, she supposed, but not enough to warrant the clinical medical questioning and probing.

"What are those clothes?" Arlong asked slowly. His eyes were narrowed, like he suspected the answer already and that he just needed confirmation.

Aria grimaced and shrugged. "He took me while I was showering. I grabbed these when I escaped."

Arlong's growl set her on edge, and she leaned into the wall like she could disappear into it. "I'm going to kill him." Arlong snarled, his fists clenching tightly at his sides and his shoulders squaring up.

For some reason, that was reassuring. Aria was surprised that Arlong took offense to her kidnapping at all. She hadn't expected more than a harsh tongue-lashing. It was what would have happened on Aqua Atlus. But pirates apparently looked after their own more. The fact that Arlong wanted revenge for her sake was more charming than she wanted to admit. "Please feel free to."

Arlong nodded, and looked mollified that she had given her approval. His eyes roved over her again and he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the door opening. They both turned to see Kuroobi enter.

"Arlong-san, I found out more information on the missing citizen." The ray fishman started, before noticing Aria's presence. "Oh…" Aria was getting annoyed at how everyone noticed her lack of dress, and she tugged it down while glaring at him. "Aria, the man who kidnapped you was pock-marked and half-burned, correct?"

"Yes." Aria said. Kuroobi frowned.

"Apparently, his name is Grenouille, and he is the most wealthy man on the island."

"What." Came the flat response from both Aria and Arlong.

Kuroobi sighed and crossed his arms. "The man is an eccentric perfumist who is probably the entire reason that Cinnabar is so profitable. According to the d'Maitre in Grasse, he is responsible for about three-fourths of the highest selling perfumes."

"What's your point?" Aria snapped. She didn't want to hear how great her kidnapper was! He was a creep who intended to do god knows what to her. She just wanted him dead.

"We can't kill him." Kuroobi said.

"What." Again came the flat response from both Aria and Arlong. Kuroobi glanced between the two of them, nervousness flickering onto his face and destroying his otherwise perfect facade. Arlong's rage was practically tangible, and Aria's wasn't any better. He swallowed, and decided to turn to Aria.

"Aria, I know it's hard to hear this-"

"Hard to _hear_?" Aria cut him off. "I don't care if the guy was a Celestial Dragon! I'll kill him myself if I have to!" Anger and hurt coursed through her, and she knew it was showing on her face. This was more infuriating and painful than when Kuroobi had tried to turn Arlong against her. Kuroobi was choosing her kidnapper over her, and while she knew she didn't mean much to Kuroobi, it still stung like hell.

"You _can't_." Kuroobi snapped back, cutting through the air with his hand. "Neither of you can!"

"Kuroobi," Arlong growled lowly, "you had better have a damn good reason for _why_." Kuroobi couldn't help but feel trapped. Aria and Arlong were both seething mad, and he didn't trust either of their tempers.

"The industry on this island was _dead_ sixty years ago." Kuroobi explained hastily. "Then this Grenouille comes along and revolutionized the whole island. Perfumes were a _hobby_ , and now thanks to him the whole island makes sales all the way to Totto Land! They rival Alabasta's Nanohana!"

"The island looks like it will do fine without him." Aria said callously. "The towns we've been to run efficiently enough that I doubt there'd be little change if we killed him."

Kuroobi shook his head. "They only make _his_ perfume. And the human is a genius. He sold 200 different brands of perfume to his teacher that were all hits in a single night."

"So just force him to make that many different kinds and _then_ kill him." Aria sneered.

"No." Arlong said. Kuroobi and Aria looked at him in surprise. "We'll keep him alive, if he can turn such a profit. But we need to catch him regardless." The captain was eager to fill his pockets more, and Aria could see a gleam of greed in his eyes. Inwardly, she cursed. Of course he would care more about money. That smarted.

Kuroobi gave Arlong a relieved look and nodded in agreement. "Tomorrow, we can go to where Aria was taken and can start our search from there. I doubt he would have made much headway."

"Do you honestly think I'm going to help you find him?" Aria scoffed. "Even if I do help you, there's no way I'm going to keep him in one piece."

Arlong smiled, cruel and cold. "Aria-chan, no one is saying you can't _hurt_ him. You just can't _kill_ him. We're more than fine if he breaks a few bones." Aria scoffed again, and crossed her arms angrily. "Thank you, Kuroobi-nii. We'll find him tomorrow, and then meet up with the others in Vienna."

Kuroobi nodded. "Good night." He gave one last glance at the fuming Aria. It was good luck that she had managed to escape on her own, but he knew she was furious that she was even captured in the first place. From what he had gathered, she was prideful and haughty. "Aria-san, thank you for your assistance tomorrow. And...sorry."

"Fuck off!" Aria snarled. Kuroobi grimaced, but years of dealing with Arlong's temper allowed him to brush off her anger towards him, and he closed the door gently when he left.

Arlong managed to find some humor in her anger, and snickered. She glared at him when he approached, still frustrated at the whole situation, and feeling overwhelmed at her whirlwind of emotions. Arlong still grinned at her as he pulled her away from the wall. "You need to change out of those clothes. There's going to be a long day tomorrow, too."

Aria grimaced at the thought of putting on clean clothes, remembering that she still had some of that gunk in her hair. "I need to shower again, but...I don't trust this whole place anymore."

Arlong raised a brow as he touched something sticky on her arm. "What's this on you?"

"I don't know." Aria sighed. "I was wrapped in some weird shit when I woke up. It's in my hair, too." She groaned in annoyance. Remembering that it was there made her feel unclean. Unbearably so. She _needed_ to shower, but the thought of leaving herself vulnerable like that again in this place warred against her desire for cleanliness.

Arlong's expression turned serious. "I'm not leaving, this time. Go clean up and get ready for bed." He urged.

Aria bit her lip, considering. Even if he was right outside, would she be safe? Aria didn't think she hit her head before she was taken, meaning Grenouille had to be in the same room as her while she showered. He had gotten in completely undetected, and was able to escape with her, unnoticed by even the staff.

"Stay in the bathroom with me." She asked, before her mind could catch up with her mouth. When she realized what she had asked, her face flushed as she realized how _weak_ that shithead creep had made her. Even if she would rather die than ask anyone for help, she would rather ask _Arlong_ for help than shower in there alone. It was uncomfortable.

"What? Hell no." Arlong could barely handle her dressed as she was, let alone waiting for her to finish showering. That oversized shirt barely covered anything, the collar loosely hanging off her shoulders and ending inches before his jolly roger. It made her look small and fragile, with her shoulders so exposed. Her hair was slightly matted from whatever her captor had done to her, making even Aria's wild curls seem dampered and listless.

That fierce look in her eyes and the angry curve of her lips only set her apart from the weak and feeble Aria he had expected to find. Fuck, he was so grateful she had managed to escape at all.

After hours of frantically searching for her, she had finally shown up. Searching for her had brought up too many bad memories of his younger years. His mind had treated him to plenty of terrible things that could have happened to Aria while they were searching for her. Things that had happened to other people he knew. And all the while he just wanted to taste blood for allowing his scientist to be taken from him.

It took everything Arlong had to not just embrace her or something else. As it was, he could only trust himself to keep hold of her arm, so that he could be sure she was really there. Arlong was loathe to let one of his crewmates get taken from him like this again, and he was tempted to agree with her, just so that he could make sure she didn't disappear on him.

Aria gripped at Arlong's shirt, and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "He had gotten into the bathroom before without me noticing! I don't know how, but...please." It hurt her to beg like that, they could both tell. Aria could see Arlong considering it, even if he was frowning at the thought.

Arlong closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. They both needed the peace of mind. Her captor had gotten into the bathroom somehow. But he wouldn't dare with Arlong acting as lookout. He opened his eyes and nodded. "Fine, but be quick about it. It was exhausting as shit looking for you, y'know. I want to go to bed."

Aria smiled, genuinely happy and relieved that Arlong had agreed. "Thank you!" She said. Arlong caught himself hesitating as the small woman slipped out of his grasp and gathered some clean clothing. She put it on the small rack next to the shower curtain and closed the door so that she could get undressed in privacy. Arlong waited until he heard the shower running to enter, and he leaned against the countertop as he waited, musing about their future cash cow.

How did Grenouille manage to get in? While the doors weren't locked, Aria would have heard them open. She was hyper-aware to most sounds when she wasn't working, especially if she had been on high alert all day. He had to have left through the main entrance, given that the bathroom door had remained open, but none of the staff had seen him leave. Arlong's eyes narrowed. Or had they? If Grenouille was such a genius, one who had saved the entire island despite his eccentric nature, couldn't he get away with doing weird things? Would the townsfolk have let him leave, even while he made off with an unconscious naked woman?

No. One of the crew would have seen him. Arlong was sure of that. But how else could Grenouille leave the building, let alone the town? Someone would have noticed. Yet they didn't. It pissed him off. Arlong racked his brain, trying to figure out how such a thing would be possible.

He broke out of his thoughts when he heard the water shut off. Aria was done with her shower. He pushed himself off the counter. "I'm going to lay down." Arlong called, and he heard a muffled reply as he shut the bathroom door. He cleared off the bed and turned off the lights, collapsing into the bed with an exhaustion that hadn't hit him until he laid down. He hadn't been kidding when he said that searching for Aria was tiring. The whole damn day had been tiring.

Aria turned the remaining light out when she laid down, though she gave the room a very wary glance before she did. Arlong watched her form in the dark. She didn't want to let her guard down, even now that she was safe. He supposed she didn't feel like she _was_ safe in this room anymore. Arlong frowned. The fact that he hadn't done a good job keeping an eye on her had nagged at him for hours. Aria had told him that she was being stalked, and he had left her alone. She'd been taken. Now she didn't feel safe. It grated at him.

When she laid down, Arlong grabbed the small woman and pulled her against him, ignoring her startled yelp and her accidentally kicking him. "If he tries to take you again, he'll have to get through me." He promised. He couldn't see Aria's expression, but he felt her slowly lower her guard. Eventually, she nodded and let out a ragged breath she'd been holding in, burying her face against his chest and gripping at his shirt.

"They always warned us that people were awful, but...I didn't listen well enough, I guess." Aria murmured quietly, her breath tickling his exposed skin. Her voice sounded strained, like she was about to cry, and Arlong's heart clenched painfully.

"Humans are awful." Arlong agreed, and began running his fingers through her still wet hair. He needed to make up for his laxness. If Aria wasn't so competent, there was a good chance they might not have found her, no matter how many families Arlong terrorized. There was a chance she might not be here in his arms right now, but instead still being held for whatever that shitty human wanted her for. Or dead. The thought made Arlong's blood boil. She was his crewmate. He was suppose to protect her. "I should have left someone with you. You shouldn't have been left alone after what you told me. I...I'm sorry, Aria."

It was unlike him to apologize to a human and mean it. As far as Arlong could recall, he hadn't sincerely apologized to a human once in his life before. But Aria was different than any human he had met before, and he had an obligation to her.

Aria's breath hitched, and she looked up at Arlong with unguarded emotion. She didn't know what to say, but she looked at him with disbelief in her watery eyes. A tear threatened to fall, and Arlong brushed it away.

"Go to sleep. I'll keep you safe."

Aria nodded, a small smile on her face, and she buried her face into his collar with a sigh. Arlong kept running his hand through her hair. Her breathing slowly evened out as Arlong promised himself he would break several of Grenouille's bones just to make him suffer.

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 **Next Chapter Preview:**

There were probably only a few times in his life that Arlong could say he looked at a human with nothing but admiration in mind. He could count them on one hand. Whitebeard claiming Fishman Island as his own territory was hard to beat. The sight of Aria standing before her kidnapper and potential murderer, one hand on her hip and the other poised to beat the shit out of said kidnapper if he so much as breathed suspiciously while demanding he take Arlong's arrangement was a close second. Arlong couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh at how happy it made him to see the haughty hermit like this.

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AN: Aria's emotions were REALLY fun to write this chapter, but I'm hoping I'm managing to portray her fear-turned-rage well enough. It's not that she really wants to kill Grenouille, but she feels so unnerved and horrified that she'll allow some pretty extreme lengths to feel safe again. At least she has Arlong to look out for her now ;)

I'm taking a lot of liberties with Grenouille. I think a couple chapters ago I recommended people watch or read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer? Thaaaaaat's because of Grenouille (and also bc I want to see ppl freak out about the ending to that book/movie). I couldn't pass up the chance to explore a fight between a person who uses sound and a person who's really good at manipulating ppl through perfume, ESPECIALLY when I hc that Arlong has a shark's sense of smell. HGrenouille's also just really creepy and unnerving and makes a great villain. I can't wait for later chapters 8D

If you want more motivation to watch the movie, Snape's actor is in it and he plays a pretty important role.


	23. Blooming Villain

**Chapter 23:** Blooming Villain

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Were it not for his extraordinary gifts such as aroma arrangement, Grenouille would have probably spent the majority of his life trapped in the steel mills in Vesteria. Or perhaps he would have remained in the mountain, surrounded by only the scent of burning metal and magma and the core of creation.

As his life would have it, however, Grenouille was the most gifted perfumer in the entire ocean, if not the world, and his skills allowed him to rise to popularity.

Despite the fact that Grenouille was an accomplished perfumer with a successful brand name, he didn't care about money or fame. He had no use for such things. They were ties to a society that he didn't care for, and for most of his adolescence actually despied. He liked the idea of being loved, but he had realized decades ago that was an impossible task.

Yet he still tried.

He was human, but an outsider. He realized he was abnormal as a child, but he couldn't figure out _why_ he was abnormal until he disappeared into the mountains. He didn't reach ennui or enlightenment while he was an eremite, but he reached a very self-important discovery about himself: he had no smell whatsoever.

That seems like an inconsequential thing to most people. After all, having no smell at all is better than reeking of body odor or being doused in fragrances. But without a scent, there's nothing to make a mark on the world. There's no subconscious impression. It explained why at times Grenouille was completely undetectable to other people, even when he was clearly in plain sight. Having no scent made him unseen.

Once Grenouille had figured that out about himself, he went about constructing scents _for_ himself. Ones that would heighten people's subconscious reactions to him. He quickly mastered making perfumes that would make him human, but still ignorable. The smell of a stablehand or a waiter or a janitor were all things he could dissect and recreate so that he could fit in better. People would actually notice his presence before he came directly into view, and it was incredibly delightful to Grenouille. Then he worked tirelessly on creating scents that would create more specific emotional responses. Anger. Fear. Happiness.

The only scent that still eluded him was the scent that could inspire love.

Not that he hadn't tried to create it before. In fact, he had gotten in quite a bit of trouble while making his second attempt at a batch. Enough to almost get himself executed by guillotine. It was by sheer coincidence that he managed to have the failed batch still on his person when they were leading him to the executioner's platform, though he didn't know that it was a failure at the time. He had opened the vial, his last wish to smell his final creation granted moments before death, and the crowd went into a frenzy. Grenouille didn't care to remember what happened exactly, but somehow, the crowd had become so convinced of his innocence that he was pardoned.

He didn't think he would mind too terribly much if he had died that day, though.

Grenouille was freed, and it took his several months of subtle experimentation to figure out what was wrong with his perfume. It had made him loved, but...not in the _right_ way. Grenouille wasn't sure what the _right_ way was. He lacked the socialization skills to know what he craved. But he knew if he just kept experimenting, he would eventually make the perfume _right_.

Of course, that meant more people had to die. But Grenouille was not the sort of person to mind that, either. Life was inconsequential to him.

He was just a few more scents away from completing his latest batch. His goal was slow to complete, as it was rare to find humans bearing the scent capable of inspiring the proper emotion. When most humans smelled like death and decay wrapped in a pretty bouquet of flowers, searching for the right scent was a test of his perseverance at best.

When the Arlong Pirates landed in Grasse, Grenouille was curious. Would fishmen smell better than humans? Could they provide a key ingredient for him? He approached, not worried about being seen by anyone. He observed the fishmen as they bullied and tormented the townsfolk, not the single slightest bit of ire, indignation, or anger forming within him at their treatment. He had almost considered the fishmen's arrival completely unimportant, until he caught wind of the human woman with them.

Her natural aroma was disguised by artificial scents of honey and coconut, and that had distracted Grenouille's nose enough that he had almost overlooked her. But when he checked again, he _knew_. That sweet, watery scent would be perfect. There were undercurrents of something more amazing and enticing, but he would have to get rid of the artificial smells on her before he could truly be sure.

Then she noticed him. It happened by accident. She was taking in the sights, her eyes darting along the buildings and the streets. Every so often she would glance at the tall, shark-like fishman who appeared to be the leader. She would smile when he laughed but her lips would purse when he turned his sights on another human. One of the times he was being particularly cruel, the woman decided to turn around, and she looked right at him.

It was unnerving. Grenouille wasn't wearing any scents at all. He should have been undetectable. She looked momentarily startled, like everyone who suddenly noticed him did, before her sharp eyes took note of him completely. She looked like a rabbit who had suddenly noticed a wolf was stalking her. From then on, she would glance around, searching for him. And every so often, despite his natural talent for being unnoticeable, she would still manage to find him.

The sawshark fishman seemed completely unaware of Grenouille's presence, even when he followed them to the inn. Grenouille counted himself lucky when the hulking fishman walked by him without a second glance, not even registering on his radar. Idly, Grenouille recalled that sharks were able to detect a single drop of blood miles away from them, thanks to their keen sense of smell.

But that only would help the fishman if Grenouille had a smell.

It had been Grenouille's easiest capture ever, afterward. He had managed to taint the water with a scent that would lull even the most caffeinated college student to sleep. He took the woman, and vanished.

There was one thing Grenouille hadn't counted on, however. That the woman he captured had powers similar to him.

* * *

The road looked so different in the sunlight that Aria had a hard time believing that she was going down the same road. It didn't even take as long as it had felt to reach the tiny village she had walked through the night before. Perhaps it was her exhaustion that had made everything seem so much longer and different, but now everything just felt surreal.

Going through the woods was a different story. As she'd taken the aerial route, it was almost impossible to see where she'd gone, and landmarks were non-existent. They ran around in circles for a few hours until someone came upon the shitty shack that Aria escaped from.

Kuroobi and Arlong both gave Aria a look of disbelief when she said they had found the place, but she just shrugged and reminded them that the distillery was underground.

Aria was overjoyed to find that the chest still covered the hatch, hopefully meaning that the asshole was still down there, and Arlong was overjoyed to find that the chest was full of money. "Even if he isn't here we still hit a jackpot, shahaha!" Arlong crowed.

It took a lot of convincing from Kuroobi and Arlong to get Aria to go down into the tunnel again, and even then she only agreed to go so long as she could dip out the second Grenouille showed up. Even though she hated the man and would love to see his face smashed in, he was unsettling. It was a deep, primal sort of fear that he inspired in her. It reminded her of when she had ventured too far into the woods, and wound up careening down a cliffside. She had landed into a cave filled with glacier lynxes and their cubs, who had decided she looked like a very tasty meal. Were it not for her abilities, Aria knew she wouldn't have survived either of those situations.

Aria loathed the feeling.

A lot of the men were unnerved by the tunnel, especially when they found the distillery. Some of the vats were covered by tarps, and there were feminine clothes strewn about, and people kept finding long clumps of hair matted together. It all seemed very odd. Especially when Aria found the gunk she'd been wrapped up in and someone figured out that it was animal fat, congealed into a paste and then spread about her. One of the fishmen with a stronger sense of smell noted that it smelled very strongly of her still, and it took all of Aria's willpower to not vomit.

The most distressing thing they found, however, was that Grenouille was not there. He was nowhere to be found. There were no other exits for him to take, hidden or otherwise. Yet he had managed to escape.

After a few more wasted hours, Arlong called off the search. They were going to meet up with Chew and Hachi, and then go to Vesteria. If everything went well, the entire island would be under their control by tomorrow.

Vienna was only an hour north of the cabin in the woods, and Chew and Hachi had made great progress on the port town and the surrounding local villages.

They were making their way through a particularly rough patch, with only half an hour of travel time remaining, when suddenly they were all overtaken by a very powerful, disgusting smell. It was like sulfur, sweat, and rotting carcases all rolled into a monstrous odor.

"Uhg, what reeks?!"

"Who ripped ass?!"

"I think I'm gonna vomit, for real."

The stench was so powerful that Aria's eyes were watering. She covered her nose and picked up the pace, trying to avoid the worst of the terrain by hovering over it. But she got too far ahead, and flinched when she saw the pock-marked man appear from out of nowhere. Suddenly, things made sense. Why she hadn't heard him in the hotel room, how he had escaped from the tunnel. He was a logia, like she was.

Somehow, knowing that made everything feel much worse. She stopped dead in her tracks, and glanced behind her. The others hadn't reached her yet, and Arlong and Kuroobi were nowhere in sight. She chewed on her lip anxiously, her mind racing as she considered her options. She didn't have long to think, as her kidnapper rushed towards her, much faster than any old man of his age had a right to. Aria shrieked and flew back to rejoin the rest of the crew, and felt nothing but relief when she finally spotted Arlong.

"He's here! Over there!" She shouted, pointing to where he was...no longer at? He was gone, and Aria's blood chilled. "He's a logia! He could be anywhere!"

Several shouts of "a logia?!" came from the pirates, and Aria saw Arlong's expression become absolutely livid as he made the same connections she had.

Grenouille appeared before her, and she inhaled sharply. A faint whiff of sea-salt invaded her nostrils, and Aria felt anger rise up in her veins. This guy really dared to show himself now, when she was surrounded by her crew and her captain? He threw an unknown substance at her, that Aria dodged. How dare he take her so lightly! Aria glowered at him and raised her hand, "Aural Well!"

A soundwave emitted from her palm, with a high enough frequency that caught the opposing logia off-guard and cracked several of the odd jars he had stored on his belt. She slammed into him while he was off-guard with another named attack, Aural Hale, that focused on sending sound inside his body, disrupting his organs momentarily with aggressive vibrations. The old man sputtered, blood spewing from his mouth, and his form flickered as he fell to the ground.

Aria was grateful that she had spent the last month training her attacks, as before she doubted she would have the control necessary to not kill the disgusting man.

Within moments, the crew had him surrounded, and Arlong loomed over the enemy logia as he sat up.

"Your name is Grenouille, am I right?" Arlong sneered. His eyes were pinpricks, and he kept clenching and unclenching his fists. The veins on his neck was throbbing and angry, and it was a menacing sight to behold.

The old man nodded as he wiped at the blood dribbling down his chin, and then looked at it in amazement. "Won-wonderful…" He murmured in amazement.

Arlong clenched his teeth, mouth twisting in an angry smile before he brought his foot down on the old man's leg. He snarled when there was no sound of bones breaking, or feel of flesh crunching under his sandal. "Goddamn _logias_." He muttered under his breath.

Grenouille looked up at him, a smug expression on his face. "I saw you all taking over the island through force, but your usual tactics won't work on me." He stood up, just barely coming up to Arlong's elbow. Now that the fishman looked closer, he was so frail and thin that a strong wind probably could have taken him. The possibility pissed Arlong off. It was such a shame that this trash was too valuable to kill.

"Aria-chan was effective enough." Grenouille's smile fell at Arlong's purred threat. "And I'm sure she won't hesitate to hurt you again if I give her permission." Aria landed next to Arlong, a murderous scowl on her face. Her entire posture radiated rage, with her shoulders tensed and her fists clenched. Arlong could feel her hate rolling off of her in waves, and it filled him with such glee that he clasped her shoulder. "She wanted you dead for kidnapping her, but unfortunately we've heard that you're the key to this island's economic success."

Grenouille studied the two of them. "So you want my perfumes for my survival."

"Oh, you're not as senile as you look." Arlong sneered. "You boost the economy here, we get our tributes from the residents, and let's say...60% of the profits. Plus you'll still be paying your own tribute. 100,000 berries per month."

"Sure." Grenouille said, like he was agreeing to what he was having for lunch instead of paying for his life. "I don't care for money or the island. But I have some terms of my own."

Arlong scoffed. This man dared to barter with him? But Grenouille's words reminded him of how Aria had joined him, and the old man had logia powers. Arlong's eyes narrowed, and his grip on Aria's shoulder tightened. "Let's hear it."

"I hate the stench of humanity." Grenouille admitted, catching everyone off guard. "Reeking and permeating every inch of this island. You all aren't any better, mind."

The crew's hackles rose, and Arlong had to resist swiping at him for the slight. "Get to the point." Arlong growled.

"Some bodies smell...delightful. Like hers." Arlong could feel Aria bristle as Grenouille pointed at her, could hear her breath hitch, could hear her teeth grind together. But she stayed in place, her stance merely widening as if she was rearing up to strike. "I meant to capture her scent when I took her, to use in a perfume."

"That's fucked up, man…" Someone murmured.

Arlong glanced at Aria. There was no way she was going to go along with Grenouille's terms, with how she looked both horrified and homicidal. Kuroobi looked disgusted at the idea, as did the rest of the crew.

"Arlong-san…" Kuroobi began, "this man is famous for not only being a master perfumer, but also a murderer. Had he been successful, Grenouille would have killed Aria-san afterward. Daring to ask to continue his work on our crewmate is..." Kuroobi trailed off, unable to find a word to accurately describe his abhorrence.

Aria's brows rose. "And you still think he should live?" She spat. Kuroobi closed his eyes and gave a heavy sigh, before giving a solemn nod. Aria bit her lip so hard that Arlong could smell blood, and he decided he needed to end the tension.

"As you can see, my crew isn't fond of letting you live. You'll be left with your life, and no more."

Grenouille's face twisted into a snarl before he unleashed a terrible odor. Arlong had no time to react before Aria was smashing into Grenouille, each of their forms rippling as Aria pumped decibels into his organs. "Aural Hale!" The old man screamed and fell back into the ground, his nose bleeding and broken from her initial punch.

"What hab you _done_!" Grenouille screeched, clutching his face with both palms cradling his nose.

"If you're lucky, you'll be able to smell again within the week." Aria sneered, looking down at the bloodied man with nothing but contempt in her eyes. "Take Arlong's deal or die."

There were probably only a few times in his life that Arlong could say he looked at a human with nothing but admiration in mind. He could count them on one hand. Whitebeard claiming Fishman Island as his own territory was hard to beat. The sight of Aria standing before her kidnapper and potential murderer, one hand on her hip and the other poised to beat the shit out of said kidnapper if he so much as breathed suspiciously while demanding he take Arlong's arrangement was a close second. Arlong couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh at how happy it made him to see the haughty hermit like this.

Grenouille scowled at them, fury and anger in his eyes, but nodded reluctantly.

"Your miserable human existence has been spared for now. We'll take the trunk we found in your shed as payment. Next month, we expect the usual amount." Arlong said.

"And don't think of running off and living in the mountains again." Kuroobi added. "I'm sure Aria-san would love to hunt you down if you even consider it."

"If he's that much of a flight risk, we ought to just tie him up in one of the villages. I'm sure there's some Sea-Stone somewhere." Aria suggested, inclining her head towards Arlong for approval. "Perhaps in Vesteria?"

"That's not a bad idea, Aria-chan. All he needs is his nose." Arlong considered letting Aria have her way with her kidnapper, as he _did_ only need his nose, but discarded the thought. He didn't want a repeat of Mata Nui's after effects, even if Aria was more than willing to inflict some harm on Grenouille. "Someone tie this scum up. We'll take him with us to Vesteria and make sure he has some nice cuffs."

After Grenouille was tied up, Aria kept a close eye on him. She didn't trust him not to run off, and Aria had noted that Arlong wasn't wearing his Sea-Stone ring, rendering him unable to catch the pockmarked kidnapper should he try to flee. She grit her teeth. That was her fault. If he had it, there would at least be a chance that he could take down Grenouille by himself. But now it would be her job to stop him, at least until they reached the next town. Vienna wasn't much farther, and they would meet up with Hachi and Chew. It was a port town, with lots of access to seawater, and Aria intended to give Grenouille a good dousing before they travelled to Vesteria. It would give her some peace of mind, though for some reason he was acting disgustingly docile now.

Grenouille seemed completely nonplussed as he was tied up, and didn't even show the slightest bit of discomfort as he was carried. Instead, it seemed like he had retreated into his own mind, his body now nothing more than a husk to be hauled around. Every so often he would sniff, as if he was a dog checking out new smells, before returning to being a shell.

Kuroobi watched the two logias from afar with a great deal of anxiety. The d'Maitre had warned him about Grenouille, but he had brushed her off, and his foolishness had caused so much trouble. He cursed himself all through the night, unable to sleep. This wasn't the first time he had ignored advice like this, but he'd make sure it was his last.

As he walked, Kuroobi considered Aria. She had been mostly subdued through the first day, more interested in taking in the sights than pillaging or helping them coerce the villagers into paying their dues. Even when she had been tense and paranoid, she had still been level-headed. Now it seemed like she had an itchy trigger finger, ready to brutalise her captor the moment he gave her reason to. It made Kuroobi nervous, but he placated his mistrust by reminding himself that the volatile human had restrained herself when given the opportunity to take Grenouille out, and had heeded his and Arlong's commands.

Arlong, who had been lagging behind as he spoke with crewmates near the back of the group, picked up the pace until he was walking beside Kuroobi. He glowered at Grenouille for a few moments before directing his full attention to Kuroobi.

"I want you to train Aria when we get through with this island, Kuroobi." Arlong told him.

Kuroobi knew why the captain wanted that. After she was kidnapped by Grenouille, there was a worry within the crew that the human would only get taken or hurt again by an enemy. They wanted the peace of mind that she could defend herself, when they couldn't keep an eye on her.

Kuroobi eyed Arlong's left hand, and made a face when he saw that his childhood friend wasn't even wearing the Sea-Stone ring anymore. It hadn't been nearly long enough that Arlong could justify letting his guard down around Aria. She was a logia, like Grenouille, and could still turn on them. Especially when she was still upset with Kuroobi and Arlong for keeping her former captor alive.

"I'm sorry, Arlong, but that's just not a good idea." Kuroobi said, and he matched Arlong's stern expression effortlessly.

"Not a good idea?!" Arlong scoffed. "The woman can barely fight her way out of a paper bag." While Aria was strong because of her logia abilities, she was largely untrained. She didn't even have much experience with street brawls, and even the punch she had thrown earlier had been sloppy. Still, Kuroobi wasn't fond of the idea of giving a glass cannon reinforcement.

"I know, but it's better this way."

"Better how? We can't be bothered to keep an eye on her while we're raiding, Kuroobi."

Kuroobi grimaced, his breath hitching as he prepared himself to venture into a dangerous topic. "Nor can we be bothered to watch our backs while she's around." Arlong's eyes narrowed, but he let Kuroobi continue. "She's as dangerous as Grenouille, Arlong, and you've already been letting your guard down around her. That ring of yours is supposed to help keep her in line."

Arlong sneered at him. "She's mouthy and disrespectful, I'll give you that, but she hasn't given me any reason to distrust her since her initiation, Kuroobi."

"You found a brand on her from her home country!" Kuroobi protested. "She's admitted to not wanting to be our nakama, and told you that she only wants to be left alone, Arlong!"

Arlong grit his teeth, and Kuroobi knew he'd made his point. "I admit it was foolish of me to not wear the ring here. I could've taken down Grenouille without Aria's help had I had it." Arlong conceded, his voice low and bitter. "But we need her alongside us when we're raiding, and it's only going to get rougher from here on out."

"We don't know that yet." Kuroobi argued. "Aside from this hiccup, taking over these pitiful humans has been a cakewalk. We can stand to wait a bit longer to train her."

Arlong gave a frustrated growl, but nodded in agreement. "Fine, we'll hold it off for a bit longer. But I'm not happy about this, Kuroobi. Not trusting her is only going to make it harder to be nakama."

Kuroobi shrugged, indifferent to that concept. "She doesn't want to be nakama, anyway."

"I can't imagine why." Arlong replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he shot Kuroobi a final glare, before he stomped off ahead.

Kuroobi thought that conversation went better than expected. He mulled over what to do next for a while before going to approach Aria about this matter.

Aria nodded in greeting as Kuroobi joined her in glaring at their prisoner.

"Arlong wants me to train you still."

"Oh?"

"I told him no. After today, that stance has only been solidified."

Aria scoffed. "That's fine. I don't need you to protect me. I'll do it my damn self."

Kuroobi gave her a level stare. "Usually I find your self-reliance to be rather arrogant, but I appreciate it now."

"Aren't _you_ the arrogant one? Refusing your captain's orders because you're afraid I'll betray you, or because you can't lower yourself to train a human, or some other bullshit reason?"

Kuroobi laughed, the sound catching Aria completely off-guard. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard the normally stoic man laugh, and while it wasn't an unpleasant sound, it was so weird considering his facade that she found it unnerving. "You have a point. But like I said, after today, I can't bring myself to. Watching you fight against another logia was...enlightening."

"How so?"

"As a logia, you've transcended a lot of the usual human weaknesses. He was capable of sneaking into your room undetected, and taking you. A feat that should have been impossible. Likewise, Arlong was unable to attack him without your interference."

"Those are things _he_ did, not me." Aria growled.

"But those actions are things you could easily mimic. That makes you hard to control."

"Hah…? Hard to control?" Aria sneered at Kuroobi, baring her teeth. "I didn't kill him. I didn't hurt him more than I had to, even though every part of me wanted to. All because _you_ said he was too precious."

Kuroobi gave a heavy sigh. "No, that's not what I meant. Thanks to your logia powers, you're stronger and untouchable to the majority of us. And it makes you dangerous."

The basis for Arlong's hatred, for all of their hatred, had always been the fact that fishmen were superior to humans. They could breath underwater, they were physically stronger, their frames were built to withstand sudden changes in water pressure and temperature. But what could you do to an opponent that could fizzle through your punches, that could become shapeless and return your attack with a devil-given power? It didn't matter that Kuroobi was a 40th Dan in Fishman Karate if he couldn't rely on his best techniques to be able to take down this scientist or this old man if they decided to stop playing nice.

"So get some damn Sea-Stone if I make you so uncomfortable. That's where we're going for this guy, right? To make sure we can control him?" Kuroobi's eyes widened. He'd considered it, but he hadn't thought Aria herself would suggest it. "Hell, get some more for Arlong, too. I'm sure he'd appreciate it. Just quit glaring at my back and acting like I'll betray you the second I get the chance."

"Wouldn't you?"

Aria gave him the most vile glare he'd seen in a long while. "No. I happen to consider some of the crew as friends."

Kuroobi felt relieved at her admission. But that wasn't enough to gain his full approval. When they got to Vienna, Rinka would hopefully already brought the Sea-Stone. Then, and only then, would Kuroobi be sure Aria wasn't a liability.

* * *

Vienna was beautiful.

If Arlong hadn't already made Conomi his base of operations, he would have chosen Vienna.

The city contrasted harshly to the more farm-like towns of Grasse. Instead of wood or brick, the buildings were all made out of steel, and they glinted almost menacingly in the sunlight. The town lacked the overabundance of plants that made up Grasse's decor, but instead the town was blessed with glistening canals that spread through the town from the mountains and led to the sea. It was a port town made of steel and water, and it had boasted itself as a town that was easy to navigate.

That had led to its downfall. Its many canals made it unfortunately very easy for the aquatic pirates to take over, Chew and Hachi having little problem popping up around the city and destroying any gondola that dared enter the water. Chew and Hachi were the crew's two fastest swimmers, and so navigating the channels and sinking anything that so much as moved was child's play. And if anything managed to get past them, Uruuru was in the waters, waiting patiently for a snack.

Arlong's party trekked through the town, and no one could miss the captain's malevolent grin as he watched the humans cower.

They found Hachi and Chew down near the sea, with Chew overlooking a merchant's ship. Despite their usual task of sinking any ship in the island's nearby seas, they had left one whole. Arlong was grateful Hachi hadn't let that additional task slip from his normally forgetful mind. Hachi had secured a ship to take back to Arlong Park, so that they could load it up with raw materials, treasure, and anything else they'd pillaged.

"Hachi-nii, Chew-nii!" Arlong called out.

"Arlong! You're later than we expected. Run into trouble, chuu?"

Arlong grinned humorlessly. "Our hermit wound up having a rather profitable admirer. We had to track him down. Has Gajeel-nii's group returned yet?"

Chew frowned, glancing over towards Aria. She didn't seem bothered by Arlong's words, but she was glaring harshly at the man tossed over Takal's shoulder.

"Nope!" Hachi replied. He crossed his arms and scowled. "They sent Borze to let us know that there's been some trouble at Vesteria, nyuu. Since it's an area where they make weaponry, the humans aren't afraid to resist."

Arlong cursed under his breath. Arlong had assumed Gajeel and Dresden would make it to Vienna sooner than his party, considering the almost day long detour they had taken with Grenouille.

It was unfortunate. He had hoped they would have picked up some Sea-Stone, as Vesteria was known for being one of the few areas in the East Blue capable of fashioning it into weaponry. An up-and-coming marine named Smoker had even had a Sea-Stone jitte commissioned recently, if Nezumi's information was to be trusted.

As it were, they would have to either take Grenouille to Vesteria or send an envoy to get some. Arlong was preferring the latter option, as he didn't trust the perfume-man out of his sight and neither did Aria. Arlong glanced over his shoulder to see Aria still scowling harshly.

"That's a problem, then. Aria-chan's little admirer is a logia, and we'll need something to keep him from running off."

"Sea water should do just the trick, right?" Hachi asked, jumping from the deck of the merchant ship to the docks easily.

Hachi studied the old man, some disbelief on his face. " _This_ guy is a logia-user? He's so old, nyuu! I think a firm breeze would just blow him away." Takal snickered, but Aria crossed her arms and tried to resist snapping at Hachi. He didn't know how dangerous Grenouille was, so there wasn't really a reason to yell at him.

"Be careful. Soak him as well as you can." Aria said.

"I can just toss him into the sea and drag him right back up." Takal said.

At that moment, Uruuru rose from the sea, the water parting as she lazily blinked at the docks.

Grenouille, who had previously been so limp that Takal had thought he was perhaps asleep, jerked at the appearance of the Sea King. Takal nearly dropped him, but even as he tried to find better purchase on the old man's body, Grenouille slithered out of his grasp and dispersed.

"Shit…!" Takal cursed, and looked around wildly. "Where'd that old fucker go?!"

Aria panicked and let out a high-frequency emission, trying to disrupt the old man's intangibility like she had before. It worked, and there was a visible rippling in the air where her vibrations hit his form at the right frequency, but everyone else was too busy covering their ears to notice.

Aria darted up into the air, and tried to hit Grenouille with a more focused attack, bellowing, " _Aural Well_!"

As before, it managed to stun him long enough that he fell to the wooden dock with a harsh _crack_ of splinting wood, but Hachi had recovered enough from Aria's soundwave that he intercepted Grenouille before Aria reached him. Hachi spit ink at the smell-man, and Grenouille howled in anger as he was covered in the foul-smelling sticky substance.

Other fishmen managed to recover and surrounded Grenouille, but the old man was having none of that.

" _Spoil Bouquet_!" Grenouille hissed as he emitted a foul smelling odor from his entire body. The pirates gagged and retched at the awful smell, which somehow managed to combine the sickening smell of rotting fruit and meat with all the rankness of a skunk.

Hachi was the only one unaffected, as somehow he had managed to get ink in his nostrils, and therefore was left gaping as everyone around him tried their hardest not to breath. "Guys…? It's not _that_ bad."

" _Get him, then!_ " The rest of the crew snapped, and Hachi was spurred to action. However, Grenouille wasn't just going to let Hachi tackle him, and the octopus went right through the old man and landed on his face. Then, showing a surprising amount of vitality and speed for someone his age, Grenouille booked it.

Aria helped Hachi to his feet, before taking chase. Hachi quickly overtook her, and Aria felt a bit irritated that he had such long legs.

"Aria, stop chasing him, _now_! Leave him to Hachi!" Kuroobi ordered, his voice booming through the empty air. Despite her entire body protesting the order, Aria did as she was told. She slowed her pace until she came to a stop, and glowered at Grenouille's fleeing form as she tried to catch her breath. God, what she wouldn't give to toss that creep into the sea herself.

Aria shook her head, and clenched her fists. Hachi would be able to take care of Grenouille, hopefully. Judging by the way he was fleeing, Grenouille was likely headed towards Vesteria. It wouldn't take long for Hachi to get his hands on some Sea-Stone cuffs if that was truly the perfume man's destination. Vesteria was such a huge sprawling city that Vienna was only a two hour walk away.

A chill shot up her spine as Aria considered what would happen if Grenouille heading towards Vesteria was a plot, and he came back for her instead. She bit her lip harshly to dispel that terrible thought, and headed back towards her captain.

All she could do was wait and hope for the best.

* * *

Rinka had left Vesteria a lot later than she intended. She meant to leave in the early morning, but it was now well into the afternoon. She huffed to herself, well aware it was the sprawling city's fault for her late departure. There was plenty of micro-rebellions going on everywhere, and she had to put a stop to more than one as she left.

Thankfully she was now an hour away from that hellish city of steel and heat. She wouldn't need to come back until she had received orders from Kuroobi. The forest she was walking through now was still painfully hot, but was pleasantly peaceful. Rinka was glad. She had enough violence for the moment.

Idly, she wondered if she should have stayed with Jinbe and the Sun Pirates. They fights they had gotten into under Fisher Tiger had been easier on her. She didn't need to kill, had been instructed _not_ to kill. Jinbe intended to follow their deceased captain's will, and the pirates under his command wouldn't be allowed to kill, either.

But Rinka couldn't help but agree with Arlong on nearly everything, especially after her short time in Vesteria. The humans were all so eager to hurt anyone they could, even themselves, in their greed. They didn't care about the lives they ruined or lost. Humans needed to be put in their place and shown how to act properly.

As much as Rinka hated covering herself in blood, she would much rather be the one who taught them instead of idly waiting for humans to teach themselves.

Perhaps they could get a few more humans like Nami and that Aria woman and teach them that way, instead of conquering them. It would certainly be less of a hassle, Rinka figured. It was a shame Arlong was so ambitious and greedy. All Rinka wanted was to have an easy life of adventure and getting drunk, with the occasional fight along the way. When Tiger had saved her from slavers, a life of piracy had seemed right up her alley. A girlfriend would be nice, too, but Rinka doubted she would see any cute mermaids or fishwomen and be able to compete with the rest of her crew for their affection. Especially when her vocal chords were so ruined. But if she _could_...

Rinka's daydreaming about her non existent lovelife came to a screeching halt as she heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Hachi. "Nyuuuuuu! Old man, you won't be able to hide from me for long!"

Rinka bared her teeth in a grimace. There went her peaceful walk to Vienna. Her trident unhooked easily from its strap, and she ran in the direction of Hachi's voice. Thankfully, he was crashing through the forest like a drunken ogre, so there was plenty of noise to guide her.

When she finally caught up to Hachi, she nearly got sprayed by his ink jet. "Ah! Rinka-chan! Sorry!"

Rinka sighed but nodded, her eyes scanning the area. There was no old man in sight. But there was a tingling sensation on the back of her neck, like she was being watched.

"Help me find this old guy, Rinka-chan!" Hachi urged, glancing around wildly. "Arlong-san is really pissed at him for kidnapping Aria-chan, I think, and also apparently he's really rich or something."

Rinka's grip on her weapon tightened, and she squared her shoulders. Despite Kuroobi's voice nagging in the back of her head that Aria was a human who shouldn't be trusted, Rinka wouldn't let one of her crewmates be endangered. She wanted to be the one who kept everyone safe. Arlong had always boasted how it was a crew's duty to look out for one another while they were members of the Sun Pirates, and Rinka had long since taken that to heart.

Rinka closed her eyes, and tried to get a feel for the presence they were hunting. Her observation haki was weak, and she could only use it to locate people, but she at least could tap into it when necessary. Arlong didn't know about her ability to use haki, but it came in handy when she was patrolling the Goza docks. No one could escape her when she looked for them. Rinka just let Nami think she could.

She found the old man within seconds, turning her trident his way before lunging. Her eyes met his as it pierced his skin, and-

She fell right through him, her eyes widening. She used her forward momentum to swing around, trying to strike him again, but it was useless.

"Ah! I forgot to mention that he's a logia, nyuuu!"

Rinka would have rolled her eyes if it was helpful. Hachi was just like Roe. Endlessly helpful and friendly, but more brawn than brains. But at times like this, it was really clear that Roe was the smarter of the two. Roe would have at least provided the combat information _before_ the value of the target.

But at least now she knew what to do.

There were several sea-stone handcuffs in her pouch, and she threw one set to Hachi. He caught them, and Rinka turned her attention back on the old man. Her eyes wanted to slide right by him, for some reason, but her haki allowed her to zero in on him.

He looked like he had a hard life, with his scars and burns. But he was a wisp of a man. He legs looked ready to give out at any moment. Rinka pitied him. He was outclassed completely by their superior fishman bodies. The only reason Rinka could see him escaping for much longer was his devil-given abilities.

"Jii-chan," Rinka rasped, "I'm afraid that you should give up now. We both have Sea-Stone."

To his credit, the old man looked completely unaffected by her voice. He didn't even frown at her threat. If a human wasn't intimidated by her, they were impressive.

"You have to catch me for that to work." The old man said, his voice nearly as scratchy as hers. He vanished before her eyes, and Rinka's mouth dropped. It took a few moments for her to search for him with haki again, and then she was on his trail.

"Shit! He's so good at running for an old guy!" Hachi whined, following after her.

Rinka had to agree. His abilities allowed him to avoid the pitfalls that would normally trip someone up during a footchase. But she had a plan.

"Hachi-san, I'm going to pin him. Approach him with the cuffs after."

"Whatever you say, Rinka-chan!"

Rinka always kept seawater on her, ever since she first tasted freedom again. The water from the slaver's den was always heavily chlorinated and it burned at her gills and her eyes, even long after she had gotten use to going in and out of the water. It had been such a joy to always keep seawater close by, to know that she would never need to be far from it again.

And she could use it to hurt him.

She strapped her trident to her back and unclasped her water flask. Tiger hadn't been keen on making sure every member of the crew could fight, but Rinka had insisted on learning at least the basics of Fishman Karate from Jinbe and Kuroobi; Aladdin had taught her how to use the trident.

As she poured water on her hand, she smiled. The human wouldn't even know what hit him. "Uzumichi!"

The saltwater bullets worked as she had hoped, striking his skin and piercing through his muscle. The old man yelped and stumbled, giving Hachi and Rinka the chance to catch up.

Hachi reached him first, and made a move to restrain the old man with the cuffs. It happened in slow motion for Rinka. Rinka hadn't expected the old man to fight back. She saw the knife too late, and she opened her mouth to warn Hachi. That surprising quickness once again took them off guard, and Hachi's eyes only managed to widen a fraction before blood was spurting out from his chest.

"Nyuu!"

Rinka didn't hesitate any more. Seawater drenched her webbed fingers, and she flung it with all her strength this time. Not even a single drop hit Hachi, though if he flinched some would have grazed him. The old man howled in pain, and Rinka tackled him. His bones creaked under the weight of her grasp. She could see him trying to get out of her grasp, but her palm was still coated in seawater.

Rinka squeezed his forearm harder. The old man gasped in pain as his bones snapped with a _crack_. The knife dropped from his hand, falling to the ground uselessly. But Rinka didn't trust it not to wind up in the logia's hands again. She crushed it under her sandal, the steel cracking audibly.

Hachi hissed in pain, but he still managed to restrain the human's arms. Rinka snapped on the sea stone cuffs, making them as tight as they could go. The old man let out a murderous wail, and Rinka's hackles rose, expecting a struggle.

But instead, the human collapsed. Like a limp doll. His dead weight nearly caused Rinka to drop him.

"I think he's done for now, nyuu…" Hachi said, giving a relieved sigh. Rinka rose a brow, staring at Hachi questionably. Hachi shrugged, wincing as the movement irritated his wounds. "He went limp like this last time, I think? I don't know. I was just there when he got brought back. Then he ran off."

Rinka nodded. She didn't trust the old man not to try anything. But they needed to head to the nearest town and get Hachi looked at. The old man had managed to get several deep swipes in during those few seconds. Hachi would be alright, but he'd be out of commission for a few days if they got to a doctor soon enough.

"How far away is Vienna now?" Rinka rasped. Her throat felt dry and itchy, and it hurt to speak. She grimaced. That small bit of combat had taken the rest of her energy to talk.

"Not long, nyuu. Maybe half an hour or so if we run." Hachi ripped off his shirt and started wrapping the cloth against the worst of the areas, tying it tight enough to hopefully keep pressure on it.

Rinka frowned in worry. She had hoped it was much closer. Hachi might be out of commission for longer than she hoped, if they didn't get a move on. She doubted Hachi would be able to run, let alone _walk_ for half an hour. And even with her fishman strength she wouldn't be able to carry the frail old man and Hachi.

They'd make it, no matter what. Rinka wouldn't let Hachi die from this frail old man.

* * *

 **Next Chapter Preview:**

Even though Arlong had been able to take out some of his frustrations at the source, he was full of barely contained anger as he stalked through the halls of the hotel they'd taken over. All the workers winced at his hateful glares, like he was personally blaming each of them, and if Aria was more like Hachi, she probably would have offered them apologetic smiles for their troubles.

But she wasn't.

And Hachi wasn't here to give them.

* * *

AN:Maaaaaan Rinka is starting to be one of my favorite OCs I've created for Arlong's crew. I can't wait to use her in future plotlines, too. I already have a vague idea of some stuff to use her in. I love her so much. Partially bc I love the idea of a gorgeous strong & silent fishwoman joining the Sun Pirates and everyone fawning over her, trying to win her affection, until she reveals "actually im a lesbian." She's also capable of drinking everyone under the table, so she doesn't like to join in drinking contests bc they'll whine at her.

Grenouille is kind of a pain to write action scenes with, bc if I have him use his power offensively, it just sounds like he's farting...But he makes such a great villain and he's just so genuinely weird that everything he does is unsettling. Even when he's not doing anything.

Title is from Persona 5 and it fits in so well with both Grenouille's perfume & flowers and Aria's slow easing into being an actual pirate that I couldn't not use it.


	24. Savagery

**Chapter 24:** Savagery

* * *

Arlong, Chew, and Kuroobi stood in a circle, discussing their next plan of attack. Aria stood nearby, her arms crossed and a heavy frown on her face. The rest of the crew was shaking off the lingering effects of Grenouille's attack, moving as far upwind as they could to escape the scent. Some of them were even taking to the sea, trying to get saltwater in their noses to clear the odor.

"Vesteria is the last major place to conquer on this island. We should head over while there's still some daylight, chuu, and help Dresden's group in the takeover."

"I'm all for that. Someone needs to put those puny humans in their place, if they actually think they can try and stand up to _us_." Arlong sneered. The entire island had been so eager to roll over and show their bellies, but the bloody blacksmiths were putting up a fight. It would have been offensive if it weren't so laughable.

Kuroobi, however, shook his head. "No, by the time we reach Vesteria, there won't be enough daylight to help us. And unlike Vienna, there's no terrain we can take advantage of."

Chew pursed his lips. "Yeah, that'll be a problem."

"It'll be fine. We have Aria-chan's weapon." Arlong grinned, motioning towards Aria. Aria, who hadn't been paying much attention, inclined her head and listened now that she was the topic of conversation.

Kuroobi's mouth made a fine line as he considered it. "I'd be more inclined to agree if Grenouille was properly restrained. With him at large, he's too much of a wildcard."

"Ah? Weren't you the one who insisted I didn't go after him?" Aria asked, with a brow raised and a haughty tone.

Kuroobi crossed his arms. "Even with Hachi-san as back-up, there was too much of a chance of something going wrong."

Aria put a hand on her hip. "I'm so relieved you think I'll just kill him the second you turn your back."

"I was thinking more along the lines of you getting yourself captured again." Kuroobi retorted. Aria made a face and dropped the subject. "We should wait until tomorrow to go to Vesteria. There's a chance Gajeel-san and Dresden-san can finish up today, after all."

Arlong didn't look too happy with that idea.

"Well, we haven't really gotten around to looking for sea charts or treasure maps yet, chuu." Arlong perked up at the mention of treasure, and Chew shoved his hands in his pockets with a grin. "This is a port town, so I'm sure they're bound to have _something_ interesting."

Arlong grinned at the prospect. "Not a bad way to pass the rest of the day at all. Might as well split up and go search for some new toys."

Aria grimaced. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with the thought of looting, but it was better than standing around worrying aimlessly. The crew split up into several groups, to cover better ground, and Aria kept close to Arlong.

The first building they went into was thankfully not someone's home, but was instead the office of a well-off shipping company. Chew had pointed out that they might have some high quality maps for Nami, and Arlong had been all for busting down their doors.

Aria was somehow not surprised that she wasn't the only one whose door he'd broken. It took more effort than necessary not to make a snide comment, though judging by the way Arlong grinned at her he expected one.

Then that grin turned malicious as Arlong demanded the closest employee take him to their record room.

"A mutant fish like you can read?" The employee quipped, and Aria winced at the way Arlong's eyes narrowed. Arlong reached for his sword, swinging it with a sort of ease that reeked of familiarity. Aria had only ever seen Arlong practice with Kiribachi before, and she tensed when Arlong let the saw-like blades hover centimeters away from the employee's neck. A single waver would end the human's life, but Arlong's grip was firm and steady despite the weapon's obvious weight. The employee, who must have been the sort with no sense of self preservation, laughed despite the fear in his eyes. "Wow, a sword that looks like your nose, how original."

"I'm feeling a bit generous. I'll let your pitiful attempts at humor slide so long as one of you inferior creatures gets with the program." Arlong sneered, his smile cold. His words dripped with venom.

"Us? Inferior? That's rich! You probably have diseases that reach back to the Jurassic era, fishman."

Aria grimaced as the man's head went rolling at the flick of Arlong's wrist. The rest of the workers screamed as Arlong settled the blade on his shoulder. "Anyone else have a smart mouth? Or will one of you worthless creatures show me what I asked for?"

A woman who couldn't have been much younger than Aria stepped forward, and shakily pointed towards the hallway. "Th-this way, p-please."

Aria uncomfortably followed after Arlong, ignoring the gaping and fearful gazes of the onlookers. It was the first time she'd actually encountered someone who would spew hateful comments towards a fishman. She'd heard about such things, but seeing it in person made her blood boil for Arlong's sake. Even when his life was in danger, that employee had kept saying such vile things. It had cost him his _life_.

Aria wondered how often Arlong had to deal with such comments, if it would set his temper off so quickly. He could take her teasing in stride, but this had been different. Arlong reacted in a harsher, crueler manner than her teasing, not even bothering to hide the bloodlust in his words. Even now he was stalking through the hall like he was waiting to strike, instead of the relaxed gait he normally had.

There were quite a few questions she'd been considering about her captain, ever since he had told her of his goal. He wanted to rule the East Blue and make a place for his people to belong. Yet it seemed more personal than just plain ambition. Aria wondered if she would ever know Arlong's true reason for gritting his teeth and taking up arms against an entire ocean.

When they got to the storage room and the employee who guided them left, Arlong strapped the Kiribachi to his back. Aria tried not to stare at the blood still on it. Arlong caught her gaze and frowned. After making sure there was no one in earshot, he shut the door. Aria wanted to get to work scouring the cabinets, but Arlong's hand on her shoulder meant otherwise.

"You alright?" He asked, quietly.

"I'm not doing awful." Aria said, though she wasn't keen on looking her captain in the eye. She could feel the weight of Arlong's gaze, analyzing her.

After a few moments Arlong gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Your fortitude for these things is admirable, but if there's a problem, you need to tell me. I'm your captain, Aria-chan." His voice was stern but not harsh.

Aria forced herself to meet his eyes. "There isn't one. I'm not use to blood or…" She didn't want to say violence or murder, but that's what just occurred, wasn't it? Her gaze wavered as she settled on, "That."

It was true. Before Aria had met Arlong, she had only ever been in a few situations where people might die. Only one of them before had resulted in an actual death, and she hadn't personally seen it. This was the fourth person she had seen die, and she was slowly becoming more accustomed to it. Aria didn't really care to be introspective enough to decide whether or not that was a good thing.

"That's why I asked." Arlong said, dryly. "I'll clean up Kiribachi soon." He promised. Aria was grateful for that. She preferred Arlong's cruelty to be out of sight and out of mind.

"Alright," Aria murmured.

Arlong nodded, and crossed his arms. "In the meantime, start looking for anything related to nautical charts. I'm sure they'll have something of use."

Arlong disappeared into the hallway, leaving her alone with the filing cabinets, and Aria set to work.

Aria rifled through filing cabinets for what felt like hours, flipping through manilla folder after manilla folder as she searched for anything interesting. Mostly there was nothing but shipping logs documenting what product was being sent where, and Aria felt disgustingly bored.

"Hmm?" Arlong murmured to himself, and Aria turned her attention to him. He was digging through his own set of files, and one had caught his attention. It looked to be a newspaper clipping. Aria watched as his eyes roved the pages, and his curious expression turned into a deep scowl. He clenched the papers so hard that the edges crinkled. "What the hell…"

"What is it?" Aria asked. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she walked over to peek at it. She flinched when she saw the paper's title. " _Famous Perfumer Grenouille Pardoned,_ " Aria murmured. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists, and stared at the picture of Grenouille being hugged by an important-looking official.

Arlong scoffed. "They make him sound like he's some big damn hero, but they aren't shying away from the fact he was accused of kidnapping over thirty women. What fucking scum."

Aria tore her eyes from the page, and tried to stuff down the bitterness welling up in her chest. She returned to her cabinet, and glanced down at the shipping logs with a barely contained sneer.

The sound of paper ripping stole her attention. Arlong was shredding the article with eager malice. When he was done, he just left the pile of scraps where they laid, all over the floor and nearby table and cabinet. Aria hoped that had been as cathartic for him to do as it had been for her to watch.

Eventually, they finished with the current room, and Arlong had to force someone to show them to another room. The building was large, and had several offices for them to go through. Arlong found a heaping pile of information on trade routes they could exploit, and Aria found some nice maps. Eventually, they reached a breaking point, but ultimately raiding the company had been a boon. They walked out of the office building with a few maps and some decent cartography books for Nami.

Arlong was grinning, full of happy energy that even spread to Aria as he eagerly discussed domination. Arlong took on a completely different tone when he got excited, and it was so full of charisma and conviction that even Aria wanted his plans to go well. It was a nice distraction from the worry she'd felt since Hachi left, replaced by a fluttering feeling in her stomach whenever Arlong grinned at her.

The moment didn't last nearly as long as Aria wanted it to.

"Arlong-san! You've gotta come down to the docks! Hachi's been hurt!" The fishman (Takal? Aria tried to remember his name with minor success) that carried Grenouille before rushed to them, panic written all over his face.

"Let's go, Aria." Arlong ordered.

Aria had never seen pure distress on Arlong's face before, but she was sure she got a glimpse of it before Arlong took off running after his man. Aria followed, having to use her powers to keep up with the fishmen's long strides.

Worry flashed through her as she ran. Did Grenouille hurt Hachi? Did Grenouille get away? How hurt was Hachi? Would he be okay? Aria wondered if she looked as distressed as Arlong.

When they arrived at the docks, there was a sizeable crowd around the merchant ship. Arlong pushed through them and boarded the ship, and Aria followed a few paces behind. Chew stood alone on deck with his arms crossed and his foot tapping impatiently, his face calm but unable to hide the underlying worry in his eyes. He turned to them when they boarded.

"Chew, what's going on?" Arlong asked, his words rushed.

"Arlong-san! Hachi and Rinka managed to catch that old guy, but he got injured pretty bad." Chew informed.

Aria breathed a sigh of relief that Grenouille was finally captive again, but her worry didn't abate.

"Where is he?" Arlong more snapped than asked.

"Hachi's downstairs, third room on the left. Kakuzu-san is patching him up now." Arlong nodded and brushed past him. Chew let him, but gave Aria an appraising glance.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Aria blinked. "To see Hachi?"

Chew pursed his lips. "Make it fast."

Aria nodded, though she couldn't help the grimace that slipped onto her face. She had thought she had made pretty good progress with Chew and Kuroobi, but these last few days had proven otherwise. Tensions were high, causing niceties to be dropped by the wayside, and it was clear that the two officers still didn't see her as a friend, or even an ally. It stung more than she wanted to admit.

She descended the steps that led into a dark hallway, dimly lit with lanterns. The door to the third room on the left was blocked by Arlong, who took up the entire frame as he tried make himself fit in the boat made for human-sized people. He had resigned himself to hunching down as he looked in on Hachi and Kakuzu, and Aria could tell by the way his fist was so tightly clenched that his knuckles were a pale blue he was upset.

Aria would call her comforting skills dreadful, but she doubted that Arlong would find her squeezing his forearm to be too offensive. His muscles were tense and his skin so taut the veins were protruding, pulsing and warm with rage. He glanced at her for a moment, surprise flickering over his face, before he returned to staunchly watching what was happening inside. Aria could only catch glimpses, but she could see Hachi grimacing as Kakuzu worked. He was clenching his teeth, trying to contain his whines of pain. To see Hachi, who was always smiling and full of energy, in pain and trying hold still as Kakuzu stitched him up...it was unbearable for Arlong.

Seeing Hachi for herself was worse.

Aria didn't often feel regret. She was totally unused to the feeling. That would mean she had entangled herself too deep in affairs with another person. So when she saw Hachi, that feeling was raw and blistering against her heart, and it broiled her anger and hatred until it was heated thoroughly and charring.

Aria did not consider herself a violent person. She preferred to walk away from a conflict, only fighting as a last resort. But Hachi was her _friend_. He had been so, so kind to her, even when she didn't deserve it. Aria wanted so, _so_ badly to find Grenouille and make him pay for what he'd done to her nakama.

But she stayed and watched as best she could, until it was over.

After Hachi was done being stitched up, he fell asleep. Kakuzu went to go work on Grenouille, who was being held a few rooms over and guarded by the silent Rinka. His arms and legs were both bound by Sea-Stone handcuffs. The perfumer was as weak as a kitten right now, with that much Sea-Stone touching him.

Grenouille looked worse for the wear than Hachi. Rinka had been on her way to Vesteria when she ran into the two of them fighting, and together she and Hachi had quickly subdued Grenouille. Not fast enough for Grenouille to not give Hachi several deep cuts across his stomach and torso, though. Hachi had gotten slow with his exhaustion, as chasing a human for so long was too much even for a fishman. Without Rinka's help, Hachi certainly would have lost as the old man became more and more desperate to lose the octopus's trail.

Rinka had given Grenouille a few cuts of his own in revenge, once she was sure Hachi was going to make it.

Kuroobi had requested Rinka bring some cuffs in case Aria went rogue, and while that left a bitter taste in Aria's mouth, she was grateful for his foresight. That was another reason that they had managed to subdue Grenouille. Otherwise, he would have been lost to the wind.

"You really thought you could escape us?" Arlong snarled, grabbing the old man by his shirt and hoisting him up so he was face-to-face with Arlong. "We would have let you have your freedom before, but no longer."

The old man listlessly shrugged. "You intended to ruin me either way. This stone makes me weak. I can't smell as I should anymore." His apathy made Aria feel on-edge. Everything about this man made her feel like her hackles were raised. It upset her, and she was grateful that Chew stood beside her and put a hand on her shoulder to keep her grounded. Despite his distrust of her, Chew seemed amused by her hatred of the old man.

Arlong scoffed and threw the old man down. There was a harsh cracking sound as Grenouille landed harshly on his side, unable to catch himself.

"Careful, now. He's so old he might die if we're too rough." Kakuzu chided.

"Tch. Be lucky you're valuable." Arlong spat. "For what you've done to my crew, I'd drown you myself before feeding you to the Sea Kings."

"Thank you for your kindness." Grenouille wheezed. It wasn't said sarcastically, but it wasn't sincere, either. Grenouille said it like it was a learned phrase to get him out of trouble.

It also really, really pissed Arlong off. Arlong smiled humorlessly. "I am not doing this out of _kindness_. I'm doing this out of _insurance_."

The thing about bones is that they're made to be very strong so that they can support all the weight their body puts on them. However, with age, that strength fades very quickly. They become frail and brittle, and don't heal from fractures nearly as well as they use to.

Grenouille was old. He was in his eighties, and he hadn't taken very good care of his body. Certainly not with how he spent seven years living next to a volcano, sustaining himself only on fire lizards and steam water. His bones were very, very fragile, and without his logia powers he had nothing to protect them from Arlong stomping on his left leg. Grenouille's tibia and fibula shattered under Arlong's weight and power like glass under an iron anvil.

Any apathy Grenouille had at the situation was replaced by pain, and he howled. Aria flinched at the noise. A grin slid onto her face. Aria realized she should probably feel bad about his pain, but she was only grateful. Grenouille couldn't escape very well like that. He couldn't hurt her or Hachi any more.

"Arlong…" Kakuzu sighed, looking at the broken human.

"It's fine, I'm done with this piece of shit. I'm leaving." Arlong announced, turning towards Chew. "Keep me updated on Hachi."

"You got it, Arlong-san, chuu." Chew said, moving out of Arlong's way. He eyed Aria with a wry grin. "Take Aria-san with you, or Kakuzu-san will have more things to patch up."

Arlong laughed cruelly at that. "Well, we don't want Kakuzu-nii to have more work to do. Come along, Aria-chan."

Aria took one last glance at Grenouille. She hated him, she decided. The man had hurt her and her friend. He had paid for it dearly so far, since old age would probably result in his arm and leg healing poorly, but it felt like it was not enough. Then again, the man had the rest of his life to serve Arlong now. Aria hoped it would be a short one.

Aria followed behind Arlong closely, with far more effort than necessary. His pace was brisk as he stalked out of the ship, and he landed on the pier with little care to how it moaned under his weight. Aria ignored the fishmen who asked how Hachi was doing, with Arlong answering for her.

Arlong prowled into the hotel district, and the humans who dared linger about bowled out of their way. Arlong's expression gave them plenty of reason to be fearful, his sharp teeth bared in an angry snarl, but the entourage of fishmen behind them helped.

They reached a hotel. It was luxurious, especially when compared to the inn Aria had stayed in the day before. Arlong walked in like he owned the place and demanded rooms for all of his men, and Aria couldn't help the amused smirk on her face. He was good at playing the merciless dictator when he wanted to.

It was hard to believe how different Arlong was treating the people here compared to Aria, who he allowed to tease and insult him. Aria had a feeling that if any of the citizens here did that, Arlong wouldn't hesitate to remind them who he was. Aria found the dissonance strangely comforting. She liked being favored.

Arlong was given a room key by the frightened desk clerk, and he gave her no more than a look to indicate she follow him. Aria tossed a glance over her shoulder and saw the rest of the crew getting their own keys, the desk clerk barely managing to keep her cool.

Even though Arlong had been able to take out some of his frustrations at the source, he was full of barely contained anger as he stalked through the halls of the hotel they'd taken over. All the workers winced at his hateful glares, like he was personally blaming each of them, and if Aria was more like Hachi, she probably would have offered them apologetic smiles for their troubles.

But she wasn't.

And Hachi wasn't here to give them.

Kakuzu said he'd be fine to take back home in a few days, after he was sure the wounds were closing properly. But that was hardly enough to console Arlong or the remaining officers, and Aria felt so sick with worry and anger and a need for vengeance.

If Kuroobi had just let Grenouille be killed, this never would have happened, Aria thought bitterly.

Arlong threw open the door so hard that the knob left a hole in the wall, and Aria only barely managed to restrain herself to not slam it shut. Between the two of them, there was enough anger coursing through the room that it felt claustrophobic.

"I'm gonna take a shower." Arlong snapped, before disappearing into the bathroom. Aria grimaced. She had considered taking one to soothe her own anger, but even with Grenouille captured and officially chained with Sea-Stone, Aria still didn't feel safe. Asking Arlong to watch her back was out of the question with his mood, and showering with him was too intimate even when he wasn't eager to rip someone's throat out.

With a heavy sigh, Aria collapsed on the bed. She ran through the day's events, wondering if there was something she could have done (besides outright killing the perfumer) to prevent all of this. Things had gone well enough until they'd reached Vienna, and Grenouille fled with Hachi hot on his trail. Perhaps if she'd followed the hunt to Vesteria immediately, they could have kept Hachi safe. But she'd loitered around, too irritated by Kuroobi's orders to not harm Grenouille anymore to want to be a part of the manhunt.

She felt so frustrated. She covered her eyes with her forearm, trying to will away the tears that were welling up behind her eyelids. This was why she had tried not to get involved with people, wasn't it? This anger, this frustration, this worry. It was all such a distracting blemish.

Hachi deserved better. If she wasn't so selfish or so compliant, she could have prevented all of this. It made her mad. If she hadn't met him, she'd never be concerned about any of the crew. Hachi had been the one who had made her curious about nakama, and now...he was hurt because of her.

She hated this damn regret. This over-analyzing of her own actions.

Aria growled and sat up, swiping at the tears that dared escape. It was all so frustrating, because even if she wanted to make things better, she _couldn't_. She wasn't allowed to go near Grenouille unless one of the officers were present. She couldn't see Hachi, because Kakuzu was probably still keeping him asleep. She couldn't tinker on anything. All she could do was sit there.

Aria scowled at the sound of the bathroom door opening. She'd hoped Arlong would shower longer, at least so she could refocus. But he at least managed to reign in his anger, no longer walking like he was restraining himself from tearing down the nearest wall. Instead he didn't even glance at her, walking across the room with a towel tossed over his bare shoulders, pants slung low around his hips. He pulled out his flask and drank, and Aria wondered how long he'd been drinking to be able to gulp it down like it was water.

She still didn't know what to do with herself. Usually she could work through her troubles, but there was no work she could do at the moment. Bitter hurt still coursed through her, and she wanted comfort of any sort. Before she knew what she was doing, she had wrapped her arms around Arlong's waist, burying her face into the hair that covered his spine. He was warm, and his hair was still a bit damp despite its impressive ability to shed water, and he smelled clean and soapy.

Arlong coughed a bit, nearly dropping the flask, and he glowered at her weakly. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Aria grimaced. Arlong always asked the most difficult to answer questions, didn't he? He grabbed at her arm, but she petulantly let him swipe through it and reformed.

"Wha- don't be a brat!" Aria pursed her lips as Arlong tried to squirm away. His face was flushed, making it an interesting shade of purple. Aria refused to let him make any headway, leading to a threatening growl from Arlong.

With a reluctant sigh, Aria muttered, "give me something to do to keep my mind off the ugly perfumer and Hachi."

Arlong's jaw dropped, and the purple of his face increased, and this time he really did drop the flask. Aria caught it, but it was a close thing, and she reluctantly let Arlong go. He stepped away from her like he'd been bitten, and glowered at her just as harshly.

Aria considered the flask. Arlong frequently drank so that he wouldn't have to think about difficult things like Grenouille, didn't he? Perhaps a little wouldn't hurt.

"If you need something to do, just ask Kuroobi!" Arlong snapped when he finally found his tongue again.

Aria sneered at that idea, and took a drink from the flask. Arlong's mouth fell open, and he balled his fists and glowered at the floor beside her. Aria appreciated the heavy alcohol content going down, though the taste left much to be desired. "Like hell. Kuroobi is the whole fucking reason Hachi is hurt." Aria grumbled. She briefly considered taking another swig, but Arlong snatched it away from her. " _Hey_."

"It's only that shit human's fault. Not Kuroobi's, not Hachi's."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "So...mine, then."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Aria grit her teeth. She was looking for a fight, or something, anything that would help. Her little moment of weakness had helped for a few brief moments, but not enough and now Arlong was unsure of how to deal with her at all. She clenched her fists and bit at her lip. Arlong studied her like she was an alien for a long while, before closing his eyes and releasing a deep sigh.

"Don't go running half-cocked because you're angry at that shithead. He's barely worth more alive than the rest of these gutter-trash humans."

Aria scoffed, snapping "don't lecture m-" before being cut off by Arlong's hand clamping around her jaw.

"You, you're worth twice as much as him." Aria's eyes widened, completely caught off guard by Arlong's sneering praise. He gave her a cold smile as he continued, "you could have killed him at any time, I know. You would have hunted him down if I'd let you."

Aria nodded, huffing in irritation against his hand. Arlong laughed humorlessly, and withdrew it, only to ruffle Aria's hair. "The only reason I didn't let you do that is because you were a target. I didn't want to play into any of his ploys."

"I know that." Aria said, her tone even but bitter. And she did. But it was hard to accept. She wasn't nakama yet with all of them yet. She was still a tool, and a dangerous one if Kuroobi was asked. Why wouldn't he want to use the best tool at his disposal?

"Then be grateful." Arlong's voice was haughty as he gave a real grin. "If you understand that, then you know I care about you more than I do my fucking wallet. Which should be damn high praise."

Aria's jaw fell, and her hands unclenched. Arlong must have found her stupefied reaction hilarious, because he laughed so loudly her ears rang.

"C'mon, let's go get some food and terrorize the locals more."

"A-as long as we're doing something."

* * *

After they took their dinner from some unfortunate restaurant, Aria and Arlong mulled about the shopping district. It was still busy despite the lateness of the night, but the residents gave them a wide berth and watched the two pirates with a wary eye.

Arlong considered several of the shops, before deciding on one that proclaimed to have the most diverse array of aromatherapy scents and oils.

The bell chimed as Arlong ducked into the shop, and he heard Aria stifle a snicker when he nearly scraped his fin against the doorframe. "Shitty small buildings." Arlong grumbled, and Aria wisely kept her mouth shut despite the smirk on her face.

The place was cramped despite its size, as it really did have a diverse selection. The store didn't even limit itself just to selling essential oils, and instead sold everything from soaps and candles to perfumes and scented fabrics. Judging by the pricetags, they were all expensive and high quality. Arlong grinned at all the items, wondering how much money he would get if he just ransacked the place. Maybe he'd come back if something caught his eye and do just that. He certainly wasn't going to _pay_ these over exuberant prices.

The shopkeeper was a tiny, elderly man. He hobbled out from the back room, took one look at Arlong, and turned so white he was nearly translucent. "G-good e-evening." Well, at least he was brave enough to offer a greeting.

"I hope you don't mind us doing a bit of shopping." Arlong said, a mirthless smile slipping onto his face.

"Not at all! T-take your time!" The shopkeeper scurried over behind the counter and took a seat at the register, though judging by the worried frown he wasn't stupid enough to believe Arlong would actually pay for any of this.

Arlong snickered to himself and began following Aria through the store. Thankfully she was going slow, as the narrow aisles were a pain for him to navigate. He'd rather not cause any undue damage to a store that looked like it turned a very lucrative profit. This island was going to keep the Arlong Pirates very rich, and the thought of all the money they would have by the end of all this was enough to put Arlong into a good mood.

Aria found the perfume and cologne section and slowly tested them. She didn't care for most of them, or only had a passing interest. Only one caught her attention, a blue bottle with an ornately designed label.

A blissful look graced Aria's face as she sniffed the cologne. "Ah, this one smells really nice." Arlong just barely heard her murmur. She held onto it even after turning her attention to the other vials that covered the table, and only set it down when she bent down to inspect some candles. Curious as to why it would hold his scientist's attention for so long, Arlong took the bottle after pointing her elsewhere in the shop.

The scent was nice, and something Arlong wouldn't mind using himself. Perhaps Aria would like it if he wore this?

Arlong grit his teeth as he felt heat rise to his cheeks. What did he care if Aria liked the cologne?

That sweet little smile on her face wasn't something he wanted directed at him. He glared at the offending bottle, but he couldn't bring himself to put it down.

Aria was too busy with some soaps now to notice if he just pocketed it. The shopkeeper was unnerved by their presence, so it wasn't as if he would say something. Arlong gave the shopkeep a menacing smile and decided he'd take it. For himself. Not for Aria.

This shop was a good choice, Arlong decided as he watched Aria mull about. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, an amused smirk slipping onto his face. He knew from her assortment of candles on her desk that she liked this sort of thing, and Arlong wouldn't mind if she added more soaps to her collection in his bathroom.

Between everything that had happened in the last two days, Arlong wouldn't deny he wanted to see Aria smile for a bit. The heat on this island alone was enough to make her more irritable than usual, with thick beads of sweat running down her skin even early in the morning. Despite that, she held back any complaints and trekked through the forest to help Arlong find her kidnapper.

He wouldn't deny his appreciation for the Aria who had been so eager to hurt Grenouille, her rage twisting her delicate features into a devil he could relate to. Hell, he'd just barely restrained himself from going on a complete rampage the day before in his need to find her.

But seeing her react to Hachi was the worst. Aria was terrible at hiding her emotions, and it had been hard to see her so regretful and dismayed at his injuries. Arlong doubted that Aria had much experience with those feelings, considering her reclusive nature. The concern the hermit showed for Arlong's brethren was touching, especially as she offered meager comfort to Arlong. It was so rare for a human to _comfort_ him, Arlong doubted it had ever happened to him in his life. His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he remembered her lithe fingers squeezing his forearm, and the small reassuring smile she offered him before she looked inside the room; he also remembered how that smile fell when she saw Hachi.

Damn, he should have broken a few more of the old man's bones, Kakuzu's warnings be damned. That shitty old man hurt both of his nakama so badly.

Arlong shook his head and refocused on what was in front of him. He'd want to go back to the boat if kept on that train of thought.

Aria was still picking through the soaps, a faint smile on her lips as she looked through them. She found a scent she liked, her eyes fluttering shut as she breathed in the aroma.

That's what he wanted to focus on, Arlong thought.

Aria pursed her lips as she looked at the price tag. "It's expensive." She grumbled.

Arlong gave her a wry smile, and pushed himself off the wall to join her. "You're a _pirate_ , Aria-chan. Paying is optional." Arlong reminded. From the counter, the old man made an aghast noise.

Aria blinked owlishly. "...right."

Arlong laughed at her and ruffled her hair. "For a selfish hermit, you aren't taking advantage of being a pirate enough, you know."

A blush crept up Aria's cheeks, and she looked downright petulant as she scowled up at him. "I think I take advantage of it enough, considering we got free food earlier."

"Don't worry, we'll break you out of your goody two-shoes nature soon enough, Aria-chan." Arlong consoled between cackles. He let his arm rest around her shoulders, not letting her embarrassed glowering deter him.

"You're just a menace." Aria said, though there wasn't any bite to her words.

"And you don't mind that in the slightest, do you?"

"Feh." Aria reluctantly picked up the soap she had been admiring, and Arlong gave a wide smile as he watched her relent to his way.

"It's more fun to take what's yours, anyway." Arlong said as Aria selected a few more soaps. Something he said made her freeze for just long enough that he wondered what tripped her up.

"Why bother with collecting tributes, then?" Aria asked, her words unusually hurried.

"Money makes the world go 'round, my dear." Arlong purred. "You have money, and you have the power to do as you please. Things that can't be acquired through brute force, like Nezumi's help, are accessible."

"I'm pretty sure brute force got you Nezumi, too." Aria said dryly as she moved on to a different section, gently sliding out of his grasp.

Arlong gave an amused huff. "Well the money certainly smoothed things along. I might have had to 'promote' someone else, if it hadn't." Aria hummed in contemplation as she sniffed at a candle, her lips parting slightly as she analyzed the scent.

Arlong considered if Aria would have gone down that route, in a different scenario. Would she prefer just being on his payroll, instead of becoming his nakama? It certainly might have smoothed certain things along if she had. The memory of his hand wrapping around her tiny neck, with the intent to kill her, made him feel uneasy now. Almost tinged with regret. Though he'd still had Nezumi prove his loyalty like Aria had, Arlong could have handled her situation more...delicately.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked, breaking Arlong out of his thoughts.

Bluntness was the best course of action. He crossed his arms, fully aware of Aria's calculating eyes analyzing his sudden distance. "You would have preferred an arrangement like Nezumi's to being a pirate, I'm sure."

"Ah." Aria said, a frown forming on her delicate features. "I doubt it."

Arlong had been expecting her to confirm his suspicions, and it took him a few moments to realize she hadn't. His surprise must have shown, because Aria's lip curved upward.

"I admit you've put me through a lot of shit. But it hasn't been all bad." Aria turned her attention back to the candles, her fingers tracing the glass. "It's...fun."

Arlong couldn't stop the grin that slid onto his face. Nor could he ignore the proud bubble that rose into his chest. "Really now? You've been having a good time? Even with the kidnapping and the murder?"

"Even with the kidnapping and the murder." Aria agreed, her voice tinged with amusement. "Though, if either of those things happen again, I'm holding you accountable, you know." Her tone turned firm and annoyed, and Arlong laughed and patted her shoulder with more fondness for her than he had ever felt before.

"That's fair."

* * *

They came home to their hotel room and Aria steeled herself to take a shower. She reeked and she couldn't bare the thought of wearing the sweaty clothing anymore. She bit her lip, wondering if she could beg Arlong to stand guard for her again, but her pride sharply vetoed that idea.

Reluctantly, she grabbed a clean outfit and stepped into the bathroom alone. She checked every nook and cranny, even the ones that made no sense for someone to hide in. Still her anxiety insisted that she wasn't safe. She forced it down, frustrated with herself, and undressed.

She had really wanted to use some of the soaps they'd stolen that night, but Aria couldn't bare to let her guard down. She faintly recalled the shower water smelling sweet before she passed out, and if something were to happen she wanted to be as on guard as possible.

Aria sighed and resigned herself to using the hotel's unscented soap. At the very least, she wouldn't feel gross anymore. Every couple minutes she had to check behind the shower curtain to make sure she was truly alone in the bathroom, making her shower feel like it took twice as long.

Never before had she been grateful to get out of a bath, Aria realized as she brushed her hair.

Arlong was scowling heavily as he nursed a bottle of gin when Aria stepped out of the bathroom. He had been in a reasonable mood since they had gotten food, but his thoughts must have soured while she was preoccupied.

"What's biting you?" Aria asked, taking over what little space remained on the couch. Arlong managed to look even grumpier as he glanced over her.

Arlong grunted, taking a long drink. Aria closed her eyes and relaxed. If it was important, he'd tell her.

"Sea-Stone is the only way to handle logias like you." Arlong said, his voice husky and sending shivers down her spine. Aria cracked an eye open. She wondered how much Arlong knew about haki, if he was saying something like that. "But cheap rings and handcuffs will only do so much against an opponent."

Aria hummed in agreement. She doubted Grenouille would have be susceptible to Arlong's ring, even if he had brought it. He was as good at escaping as she was. It was good fortune that Rinka had been carrying a seawater flask when she ran into Hachi. Her technique of saltwater bullets were probably what saved them the trouble of Grenouille fleeing again.

"We could forge a weapon made of Sea-Stone here." Arlong stated, laying his potential plans on the table.

Aria's lip curled downward. Sea-Stone handcuffs were easily avoidable, which was why she had told Kuroobi to go and get some for himself. Arlong's ring was an annoyance at best, so long as she kept out of range. But an actual weapon forged from her weakness? The thought made her stomach turn. She had to convince Arlong to go about this differently.

"That's true," Aria allowed, "but that's still relying on a tool. It's no different than handcuffs or a ring."

Arlong's brows rose skeptically, but he waited for her to continue.

Aria chewed on the inside of her cheek, hoping to not betray her nervousness. She had wanted to withhold this information from Arlong, not knowing how the shark would use the knowledge to his advantage. But if he was planning on commissioning a weapon, she had no choice.

"Wouldn't it be much better to be able to only have to rely on yourself?" Aria asked, her tone becoming haughty. "With armament haki, you wouldn't need to worry about Sea-Stone at all."

Arlong sat up, directing his full attention to Aria. She smirked when he even set his drink down. "What are you talking about? Explain." Arlong ordered, his voice even and his eyes narrowed. He was acting like she had just announced she knew the location of a great treasure. Though, considering the last few days, perhaps this was treasure enough.

"Armament haki is used for both offense and defense, and is the only technique known to successfully attack or hold on to any logia user. An armament-covered limb can both grab onto a logia user, and also defend from a devil fruit ability." Aria recited from memory. "I found that out through that essay in your library."

Arlong considered that for a few moments, and Aria shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny of his gaze. "If what you're saying is true, then Sea-Stone is entirely unnecessary in the long-term."

Aria nodded. "Yes. A Sea-Stone weapon might help for now, but if you want your empire to succeed, it wouldn't make sense to handicap yourself with it." Aria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and allowed a mischievous smile to form on her face. "Improving yourself is the only real way to ensure any other logias won't be a problem." She purred.

Arlong's gaze trailed away from her, and he seemed to be recalling something, as he growled lowly. His hands clenched together and his teeth ground together, causing Aria to feel uneasy. She wondered if he'd had problems with logias even before she had come into his life.

"How long until your contacts get back in touch with you?"

Aria shrugged. "Twinny isn't due back for another two weeks. Then she has to distribute the letters, and my contacts might need to go through their own contacts."

"Don't you have anyone close-by?"

Aria tilted her head, considering. There was _one_ , but...Aria preferred to make that trip in person. "It will have to be back-burner for a while more, I'm afraid." Aria said, her voice tinged with apology.

"When you get your hands on anything, I want that to be high priority." Arlong ordered. "If I need to learn haki to handle logias, I will."

"Understood, captain." Aria was grateful this had gone so smoothly. Even if Arlong was quick on the uptake, it would still take a couple months if not years before he could master it. She wouldn't have to worry about his Sea-Stone ring nor him being able to touch her.

As if reading her mind, Arlong's palm ran over her bare thigh. His hand was warm and rough on her skin, and she could feel the calluses from shipwork and his saw-blade. It felt nice, and while she would never admit it, she hoped he didn't stop. "You're not wearing one of your cute little nightgowns." He noticed, a slight whine in his voice.

Aria nearly scoffed. "Those aren't exactly practical when I'm not sure I'll even be sleeping indoors." Though she did make a mental note that Arlong thought they were cute. He wasn't anywhere close to being drunk, not with only this single bottle of gin he'd stolen on their way back to the hotel, but his tongue was looser now than usual.

Arlong hummed to himself, picking up his drink and taking a long swig. He burped when he was done, causing Aria to grimace slightly. "Didn't you want to use any of that stuff we got tonight?"

Aria frowned. "The soaps?"

Arlong nodded, and tossed an arm over the back of the couch. Their thighs brushed against one another as Arlong settled his right leg over his left. "They smelled nice, didn't they?"

She really didn't want to explain herself to him, but she knew she needed to. She crossed her arms, her nails digging into her bicep. "I didn't want to use them just yet." Aria admitted softly. "Not when that shitty old man has a scent-based logia."

Realization dawned on Arlong's face. "Shit, I didn't even think of that."

"It's fine."

Arlong frowned at her, like he didn't believe her. But the expression passed, and Arlong took another drink.

"That shitty human won't be going anywhere, not with his leg broken and him chained up with Sea Stone." He spoke confidently. A wicked grin formed on his face as he boasted, "and it's not like he would be able to get through me, a superior fishman, with his frail old body."

A smile tugged at her lips at Arlong's boastful reassurance. "It's not good to let your guard down." She chided.

Arlong scoffed. "You've nothing to worry about. I'll keep you safe."

Aria's heart thudded against her chest. She was taken aback, like she was the night before. He was so blunt and sure of himself. He was always like this. Full of conviction and charisma. It made her want to put faith in him, even though she usually felt like she could only rely on herself.

Just this once, it would be okay to rely on someone else, wouldn't it?

"Really now? I'll hold you to that, you know." Aria said, forcing a cavalier tone. Arlong didn't buy her faux haughtiness for a second, rolling his eyes with a smirk.

"Relax, already. You weren't this unnerved about me, were you?"

Aria snickered. "Hardly. You're very predictable."

Arlong's brows rose incredulously. "Predictable?" He nearly growled. Aria covered her amused grin with her hand. "You're saying that like I didn't catch you in an instant that second time."

He clenched the muscles in his arm, his fingers brushing against the back of her neck. The ghost of a touch brought back memories of an Arlong who truly wanted to kill her. It also brought back memories of an over-confident Aria, one so sure her blinding rage wouldn't lead her to ruin. In a manner of speaking, it hadn't.

"I lost my temper. Had I been thinking right, you wouldn't have caught me at all." Aria reminded. "I would have kept my distance and out of your reach." She patted his leg condescendingly, her impish smile restrained for the moment.

"I hardly see how that would be enough to call me _predictable_." Arlong grumbled behind the mouth of his bottle.

"You're fast and strong and you have a lot of reach." Aria started to explain.

"You're damn right I do." Arlong interrupted, sitting up for a moment to set the now empty bottle on the table. He huffed as his back hit the couch.

Aria rolled her eyes at his petulance. "But you have a lot of tells. Even at Mata Nui I could see you winding up to do a hit, and I'm not exactly a combat veteran." Arlong frowned at that information. "Someone who could watch you from afar and predict your patterns as I intended to do isn't going to have a hard time avoiding you."

She turned up her nose and pressed her fingers against her chest. "Though, it wouldn't help you that I was trained to look for such things anyway." She said confidently. "Those sort of wait-and-escape tactics are something Aqua Atlus drilled into me."

"Che. I suppose I'll have to get serious once we're done here." Arlong huffed, a heavy frown on his face as he disappeared into deep thought.

Aria had to agree. Though the East was the weakest of the four seas, that didn't mean it would all be a cakewalk to conquer like Mata Nui. Plenty of powerful threats had come from the East, including Gold Roger himself. If Arlong was serious about becoming the emperor of this sea, he needed to be prepared to work for it.

Aria already intended to resume training once she returned home. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she considered how best to go about that. She kept coming up blank. Frustrated that she couldn't get any headway, she stood up, intent to lay down.

Arlong caught her arm, and she turned to look at him. His hand dwarfed her wrist in comparison, but there was no tightness to his grip. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, too." She said, letting the tiredness she felt seep into her tone.

"I'm sure it will be." Arlong allowed, letting go of her. He slouched, resting his cheek against his fist, his elbow propped on his knee. He looked tired, too, but Aria didn't want to point out his exhaustion. He took pride in being a dependable captain. He had his own appearances to keep, even if she was privy to more of his less-than-perfect pretenses than most of the crew. If he would keep her cracks of weakness quiet, she didn't mind allowing him his.

"I'm not that predictable, am I?" He very nearly whined, and the corners of her mouth curved upward.

She would allow him _most_ of his.

Aria leaned down, making sure her cleavage was nice and visible as she smiled at Arlong sweetly. His eyes widened as her fingers brushed against his chin, her thumb fanning out against his cheek. His breathing faltered as she took his hat off, dropping it carelessly off to the side and threading her fingers through his hair. His mouth fell ajar as she leaned closer to him, her breath landing on his skin, and she saw of flicker of fear and anticipation go through his eyes. Aria was amused at how easily Arlong responded to her, exactly as she had planned.

"It's alright, my dear captain," Aria purred into his ear, "I won't tell anyone you're so fun to tease."

She pressed a small, chaste kiss to his temple.

She had intended to head to bed the moment after, but Arlong's hands gripped at her waist and startled her into letting out a gasp.

"Tease?" Arlong echoed, his voice low and jagged against her ear. He laughed, low and raspy. The sound made her stomach twist. "Don't be cruel to me. I nearly tore apart Arles looking for you yesterday."

Aria recalled the buildings with broken doorframes and cracked walls. The damage had been much more apparent during the morning, when there was plenty of light. Aria knew the sort of damage Arlong could cause, but she had been the reason for it?

"Thank you," Aria murmured. "I didn't know if you'd even noticed I was missing."

Arlong frowned. "Of course I did. It's my job to make sure everyone is accounted for. Don't doubt me."

She smiled gently. "I'll try not to anymore. But I'm still not use to relying on others, you know."

"I know." Arlong lumbered to his feet. Aria couldn't remember how to breath as his large webbed fingers traced her unbruised cheek. Despite the fact he could easily make her cheeks match, he was nothing by gentle as he pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her waist.

Her heart thumped so loudly she was afraid it would burst from her ribcage, and she could barely hear anything over the sound of blood coursing through her ears.

His broad frame took up her entire field of vision as he held her. She could faintly make out the smell of soap on him, still clinging to his skin hours later. His presence was overwhelming, the sight and smell and feel of him. But it felt warm and safe and she sighed.

"Bedtime." Arlong pushed her to the bed. Aria laid down as he turned out the lights. Arlong ungracefully flopped on the mattress, causing Aria to bounce up with a yelp. He let out a grateful groan as he relaxed, and Aria wondered how tired Arlong must have been. Like her, he wasn't use to trekking through forests for hours, though he at least had his fishman stamina. Though even that couldn't help with the distress of Hachi's injuries.

Aria frowned. Hesitantly she asked, "if fishman are so strong, Hachi should be back to his normal self in a couple days, right?"

Arlong grunted. "So long as he doesn't do anything stupid."

Aria breathed a sigh of relief.

"Stop worrying and go to sleep." Arlong ordered gruffly. "Or I'll tell everyone you couldn't stop crying over Hachi-nii."

"I don't think anyone would believe you." Aria said. "Most of the crew probably still thinks I'll turn traitor."

Arlong gave a deep sigh and curled around Aria. "Just Kuroobi. Everyone else went looking for you, too."

"Really?"

"Really. You may be human, but you're still one of us. Part of the family. Even Kuroobi won't turn his back on you when needed." Arlong's breath was hot on her ear as he spoke.

Aria hummed contemplatively. It sounded fake. But Arlong had told her not to doubt him, and he knew the rest of the crew better than anyone else. He was so sure of himself, so sure of his crew. She wanted to believe in them.

Arlong's breathing slowly evened out into deep snores. Earlier she'd been regretting joining the crew because she was afraid of getting hurt. She was still scared. But Arlong somehow managed to be a comforting presence to her now. As she sleepily stared at his face, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

Aria had started to consider what angles would be best to avoid his rostrum when she realized what she was considering.

She couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with her. She knew she was charmed by Arlong at times, but to actually want to kiss him? When he could so casually kill a human like they were an insect?

She was a fool.

It didn't matter how close of nakama they became.

Aria was still a human.

Arlong would never want her.

Still, her lips ached for a kiss she would never receive.

* * *

AN: Poor Aria, not knowing the slightest bit of how to handle her own feelings lmao. I imagine her constantly going "oh GROSS i caught feelings" every time she realizes how much further she's fallen for Arlong & how much she cares for ppl like Hachi

This chapter is bit slow towards the end imo but I really wanted Arlong to realize he's gotten lucky with Mata Nui and Conomi. Especially to realize that before they go to Vesteria 8) need a big breather before we get into THAT shit

i also really wanted to portray all the different sides of Arlong in this chapter bc he's got such a great range of emotions based on what he's doing. angry Arlong who doesn't want to be touched vs tired and buzzed Arlong who wants nothing more than tactile comfort and to sleep for a week is my favorite contrast tbh.

Chew has figured out that the old man is the Grenouille the girls were talking about two chapters yet, but Hachi hasn't. Chew's kinda miffed that Hachi got hurt when they both promised to take down Grenouille :(


	25. The Heat of Hatred

Chapter 25: The Heat of Hatred

* * *

Early in the morning, Aria followed Arlong back to the captured ship. They stopped to get an early meal along the way, and as Aria ate her cinnamon bagels she considered last night's discovery.

Aria still felt foolish about her growing feelings towards Arlong. He was the sort of man her homeland had warned her about. A pirate through and through, Arlong wanted gold and riches and to conquer all the surrounding territories of his empire. He hated humanity and wanted to subjugate them; Arlong had subjugated _her,_ branding Aria with his mark.

Yet, Aria suspected Arlong had his reasons for why he was so cruel and callous towards humans. That didn't make his actions any less reprehensible, nor did it make his tormenting any less cruel for cruelty's sake. But she was curious, and Aria always let her curiosity get the better of her.

Adding to her burning curiosity, Aria also knew that for all of Arlong's temper and hatred towards humans, she had somehow found a loophole. Arlong didn't mind her teasing or her own bristling anger. Aria was very aware that she was rude and hostile at times but Arlong had yet to decapitate her with Kiribachi like he had the man yesterday. He'd called her rude names and swiped at her, but not with vile hatred.

Even since Mata Nui, Arlong had been watching out for her. Aria wasn't sure how she managed to swing that. But it certainly didn't help her. His stupid comforting and boisterous declarations only made Aria want to rely on him. Aria chewed on her cinnamon bagel aggressively, her eyebrows narrowing. Arlong was the captain, so she ought to be able to rely on him. Every fiber of Aria's being usually hated the prospect of relying on anyone. She was a hermit for a reason. But her stupid feelings were making her want to act otherwise, causing her to go to Arlong whenever things became too much.

Frustration welled up within her as they boarded the ship. Feelings were dumb. Aria wanted to rip them out. They'd only cause her trouble, like they had last time. She shook her head to clear it, and tried to focus on the trials ahead. It was going to be a long day.

Two men stood guard outside Grenouille's room, alert and stern. Aria passed by with her head held high and her face blank. Aria didn't really wish to see him, anyway. She didn't even notice her own fists clenching.

They finally stopped to check on Hachi. Arlong gave a brief nod to the woman standing guard over the injured officer, before he focused on Hachi. There wasn't anything the captain could do besides glower and clench his fists. He grumbled threats under his breath, swearing that anyone else who hurt his nakama wouldn't survive.

Aria's heart thudded in her chest. She squirmed where she stood. She remembered Arlong's promise from the night before. And she remembered what Hachi had said about Arlong months ago. Arlong's crew was his family, and he cared deeply about his family.

Arlong went to discuss their plans for the day with Chew and Kuroobi in another room, leaving Aria in the too quiet infirmary.

Hachi was still unconscious, for which Aria was a bit grateful. She felt like she wouldn't be able to reign in her emotions if Hachi gave her his usual grin. Though she wasn't alone in the room, with the fishwoman Rinka standing guard.

Rinka leaned against the counter, her arms crossed and her trident tucked against her side. Her green eyes appraised Aria, not bothering to hide her curiosity in the slightest. Aria returned the favor, finding observing the only other adult woman on Arlong's crew far more appealing than impatiently fretting over Hachi.

Aria had been surprised when Rinka gave her report to Arlong the day before. Even covered in Hachi's blood, Rinka had an elegant appearance. Her high cheekbones and plaited hair reminded Aria of the Queen. She seemed self-assured and confident, but not haughty or prideful. Then Rinka had spoke, her voice raspy and crackling, and Aria could only listen in awe at the strange frequencies her damaged vocal chords emitted. They weren't pretty, but the unique sounds made the scientist curious.

Rinka pushed herself off the counter and strode over to Aria. She touched Aria's bruised cheek with such little hesitation that Aria jerked away.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Rinka asked. "I forget that humans are so fragile."

Aria was sure that if Arlong had said those words, they would be full of mocking scorn, but Rinka's tone only held genuine apology.

"...No, it didn't." Aria replied hesitantly. "I'm not use to being touched."

Rinka nodded, understanding in her eyes. Her hand fell to her side. "You are the hermit, right?"

"Yes, though I'd prefer to be called Aria instead of 'hermit,'" Aria said, amused.

Rinka tilted her head, her lips curving into a pretty smile that made Aria's stomach flutter. "Call me Rinka."

"Alright, Rinka." Aria tested out the name on her lips. It felt nice to say.

Rinka's smile grew. It fell slightly as Rinka observed the bruise on Aria's cheek. "Arlong-sama didn't do that, did he?"

Aria's mouth fell open. "N-no. It was the old man who hurt Hachi." Rinka frowned harshly. "He took me for his bizarre perfume experiments, and I fell running away."

"I should have killed him." Rinka crossed her arms. Aria fought a smile, suddenly very fond of Rinka. Aria wasn't use to people wanting to protect her, but now that she was a member of Arlong's crew there were plenty who did. Even people who she had just met. It was nice, making her feel valued.

"I'd appreciate that, but I'm sure Arlong wouldn't."

Rinka's brows rose. "You speak of him so familiarly, for a human. Do you think he's not worthy of respect?"

Aria blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Even addressing him with -san would be less familiar. Only the officers and Kakuzu-san address him without title."

"Oh. Honorifics." Aria winced. "We don't use those where I'm from."

Rinka's looked understanding, but she did not approve. "I hoped you were wanting to be close, allowing me only your name." There was a bit of a whine in her words.

Aria floundered for words, suddenly grasping the meaning behind Rinka's earlier pleased smile. Her stomach fluttered and her palms grew sweaty. Aria had admired many pretty women in her life, but as far as she knew, none had desired anything more than friendship. Hell, for all that she teased Arlong, he just had base, instinctive reactions. Nothing deeper. Aria suddenly felt very out of her depth, especially as she dishearteningly realized she only faintly grasped concepts such as friendship and nakama.

The door opened, and Aria and Rinka both turned to see Arlong and Kakuzu entering the infirmary. Arlong seemed to be in a much better mood, now that he was focused on his goals for the day.

"Arlong-sama, you didn't tell me Jii-chan hurt Aria." Rinka put a hand on her hip, a pout on her face.

Arlong grinned at Rinka. "You were already pissed at him for hurting Hachi-nii so bad. I could only imagine what you'd do if I'd told you."

Kakuzu frowned and studied Aria, a tentacle muffling his words, "That's right, I need to examine you too. I'd forgotten in all the excitement."

"I think I'm fine," Aria reassured. "My face is healing up well enough."

Kakuzu shook his head and folded his tentacles. "You aren't getting out of an examination this time. Not to scare you or anything, but given the circumstances you woke up in, I'd feel better if I could rule out any…" Kakuzu grimaced. "Sexual misconduct."

That phrase had both Arlong and Rinka angry, their hackles raised. Aria shifted uncomfortably.

"What circumstances would lead to that?" Rinka asked, her voice an angry hiss. Her stance, which had formerly been relaxed, tightened as she squared her shoulders.

"You think that lowly human would have touched her?" Arlong snarled. His fists balled, and Aria could see he was regretting not hurting the old man more.

Kakuzu put up his tentacles placatingly. "No, but it's better to be safe than sorry, Arlong-san."

Arlong's narrowed gaze flitted between the uncomfortable Aria and the unwavering Kakuzu. "Fine!"

"Kakuzu-san, _what circumstances_?" Rinka repeated.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality," Kakuzu quipped, though his smile was forced. Rinka pursed her lips and turned to Arlong.

"Fucker kidnapped Aria-chan while she was in the shower." Arlong supplied.

Rinka's eyes widened and she clenched her fists.

"Hey." Kakuzu lightly smacked Arlong in the chest. "Don't tell her things like that without Aria-san's permission." Arlong glowered at him without any real malice behind it.

Aria crossed her arms tightly against her chest. "I'd rather just get the rest of the raid over with, if that's fine. The sooner I'm off this island the better."

"You need to be examined," Kakuzu said sternly.

"Do as the doctor orders," Arlong said, his tone leave no room for arguments.

Aria grit her teeth. She really didn't want to. But she allowed Kakuzu to pull her behind the curtain, drawing it for privacy. Aria didn't doubt that it would be nigh impossible for Kakuzu to get Arlong to leave after he had reacted so harshly, so she didn't try to ask.

Kakuzu examined her briskly, sensing Aria's discomfort and apprehension. His questions were asked quietly, low enough that the others wouldn't hear. Eventually he ruled out any harm. Aria let out a relieved sigh, a weight she didn't know she bore lifted from her conscious.

Aria had always been told that the outside world was filled with people with malicious intentions. She felt like she had just brushed the surface of the world's darkness. Despite that, she was grateful she had left her home island, even as she had to face Arlong's demanding glare.

Aria redressed and allowed Kakuzu to pull the curtain away.

"I'm fine, as I thought. Now can we move on?" Aria fauxed annoyed, slipping on her haughty facade. Rinka looked visibly relieved, and some of the tension left Arlong's frame.

Arlong didn't let any more of his worry show, instead nodding. "Get your shit, then. We're heading to Vesteria."

"Finally."

* * *

Grenouille waited until Arlong and his scentbearer left. It wasn't hard. The passage of time was not something Grenouille had ever considered important. He let his mind blank until the shark was so far gone that Grenouille could no longer scent him.

They took a large group of men, and Grenouille caught wind that they were all headed towards Vesteria. Grenouille didn't care that they intended to take over his hometown. He didn't care for the people, nor did he have any nostalgia for the sprawling city. But it was far away by foot, and by the time they caught word of the fact Grenouille had escaped, it would be far too late for the pirates to do anything.

It was very fortunate that they underestimated Grenouille. He had escaped a much larger guard than what he'd been left with. All that was left on the ship was the fishwoman, the doctor, the octopus, and two other guards. There were a few fishmen patrolling around outside that Grenouille could smell, but he didn't consider them a threat. Not if he could take control of the doctor.

The scentbearer had destroyed most of Grenouille's battle perfumes in one of her attacks the day prior. Her soundwaves had cracked the bottles, and they had been contaminated with impurities. By now, the scents were tainted enough to have lost their purpose.

But Grenouille always kept his most precious vial safe, tucked up against his hip and safely wrapped in protective layers of cotton.

The problem was reaching for it while under the fishwoman's watch.

She was a dutiful guard. Ever since she had entered the room, her eyes never strayed from him for more than a few moments. She glared at him hatefully, but Grenouille wasn't bothered by that. Many people had looked at him hatefully before. But he wished she was less watchful.

They hadn't fed him since he was captured. His stomach growled audibly.

"May I have some food?" Grenouille asked, with practiced politeness and the perfect tone of voice he had learned to imitate from the other orphans he'd grown up with.

The fishwoman's mouth made a firm line as she considered his request. Then she gave a short, firm nod. She turned her back for only a few moments to speak with the guards outside the door, but that was all Grenouille needed to grab the vial.

It took a bit more time to open it, and by that time the fishwoman had resumed leaning against the wall. But Grenouille only needed a drop or two on his person. The fishwoman noticed him opening the vial. She let out a rough growl and lunged at him, but by then the scent was already in the air. Grenouille let the corner of his mouth rise as he watched the fishwoman come under his spell.

Rinka had been in such a rush to stop the prisoner from whatever he had been planning. But now she couldn't imagine why she would do such a thing. There was a strange smell in the room now. It made her heart beat fast and her palms get sweaty.

The old man took the pipet and let a single drop fall on his palm.

The effect was instantly overwhelming.

All she could see was the old man. The old man was so charismatic, wasn't he? And charming? How could Arlong keep such a frail old man locked up with his injuries?

"Miss Fishwoman, would you be so kind as to find the key for these cuffs? They chafe." Grenouille said. Rinka felt compelled to follow his words.

She nodded. She ignored the Takal's surprise as she left the room and fetched the key from Kakuzu's makeshift infirmary. When she came back, Takal was in the old man's room, smiling at him as if he were an old friend. Good, Rinka thought. The old man was so sweet and polite. He didn't deserve any of the cruel treatment Arlong had been giving him.

The other guard returned with some bread and water. Rinka uncuffed the old man. He eagerly ate the food.

"I am Grenouille. What are your names?"

"I'm Takal. She's Rinka. He's Ryoji." Takal introduced, excitedly. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

Grenouille nodded. "Take me to your doctor, please."

* * *

Vesteria was a madhouse. The route that they took to the sprawling city had them walking near molten lava, which generated a lot of heat, and by the time they even reached their destination many of them had finished off the water they'd packed. Aria felt like she needed a bath already, sweating beading on the back of her neck and trailing down her spine unpleasantly.

The city itself was claustrophobic, with no inch spared in its development. The walkways were cramped, even for Aria, and metalwork beams crossed overhead so frequently that they almost made a ceiling. The barely clothed and malnourished looking children that darted over them certainly had no problems using them as roadways.

The only people who had much space for anything were the giant factory mills, and even they had built large, towering buildings to make use of what space they could. The shopkeepers were forced into small, cubby-like buildings that couldn't be more than 15 feet wide. They passed by several blacksmiths in small, shabby buildings, crafting all manners of tools. Food vendors were scattered about, selling fish and rotten looking vegetables. The tanneries were full of scrawny and dirty teenagers, cramped together as they worked.

The packed area kept in the heat and the smell of the city. Aria understood why Grenouille said he despised the stench of humanity, if he spent time here. The city smelled of tanneries and smog and sweat and rot.

Aria decided she hated it.

The people paid them little mind as they passed, too absorbed in their work to care. Or perhaps Dresden and Gajeel had already gotten to them. How Arlong expected their group to take control over this disorganized mess of a city, Aria had no idea.

Rinka said most of the outer districts had been full of unlisted children, and that had tipped the group off to a much bigger problem. The city records weren't actually managed routinely because no one cared to maintain them. People died and were born, and no one kept records of either. Marriage records were only slightly more useful, but according to the citizens if someone was well-off enough to get a legal marriage they were well-off enough to go to a better city.

That had led to _another_ problem. Everyone was too poor to pay Arlong's tribute, except the top dogs who ran the city. They couldn't very well kill off the entire population of the city without also causing production to come to a standstill and making that section of the island worthless.

The top dogs were also very rebellious, and had barricaded themselves in a refinery. Dresden was still keeping watch, ensuring none of them escaped, while Gajeel ran around trying to make sense of it all.

As Rinka listed off problem after problem with Vesteria in her rasping voice, Aria became more and more unsettled, and Arlong grew more and more frustrated. Now that he had seen the city for himself, he couldn't find it in himself to get angry at Gajeel and Dresden's inability to take control. It needed a more heavy-handed approach.

Thankfully, that was Arlong's specialty.

"Dresden!" Arlong called out as he approached.

Dresden, who had previously been trying to pry a heavy padlock off the refinery's door, turned to them. A large grin spread over his face. "Oh, aren't you a blessing, bossman! These cowards have put up Sea-Stone locks on all entry points, and I haven't managed to break one yet. Maybe you'll have better luck."

"That's unlikely." Aria said. "Sea-Stone can't be broken. It can only be melted."

"Well, that's a pain in the ass, then." Arlong muttered, crossing his arms as he considered what to do next. "So do we just get some lava, or what? It's not like _that's_ a rare resource around here or anything." He eyed an open vein with disdain.

"We could just go through the walls, couldn't we?" Kuroobi suggested.

Dresden flushed at the suggestion. "Shit, I probably could've done that instead of wasting my time trying to break the Sea-Stone."

Aria smirked. "Yeah, that probably would've been more helpful. But before you guys start smashing through walls, I can see if they're reinforced and we can avoid those areas."

"Go for it." Arlong said. He looked eager to smash things, even more so than Dresden did as the blacksmith hoisted his hammer over his shoulder.

Aria approached the brickwall, and put her palm against its surface. With a few quick pulses of her power, she received a good idea of the building's inner make-up. The walls were thick and sturdy, but they weren't reinforced. She walked along the side of the building, using her vibrations to determine where the weak points were. Eventually, she found a spot that wasn't as strong as the rest as her vibrations angled out in various directions and never returned.

"Over here!" She called, and Arlong and Gajeel came to examine the spot.

"Stand back, Aria-chan." Arlong said, pulling her behind him as Gajeel hoisted his large hammer over his shoulder. Then he brought it down hard, and brick shrapnel flew in every direction. Aria panicked at the thought of all those little shards being embedded in someone, and held out a hand.

"Aural Disperse!" A thin rectangular shield appeared before Arlong, translucent and humming a harsh and unpleasant frequency. The small shards of brick disintegrated as they hit it, turning into dust that fell to the ground.

Arlong raised a brow at Aria. "You're just full of new tricks now, aren't you?" He sounded impressed, and Aria's ego swelled. She was grateful her training the last month had paid off.

"Oh, just wait until I show off my weapon, captain." Aria said, a haughty smirk on her face.

Arlong grinned mirthlessly. "With luck you'll get to test it out soon."

The entered through the hole in the building, Dresden staying behind as lookout.

Arlong's blood hummed with battle lust. Aside from Grenouille, they hadn't much opportunity for a fight. Arlong was eager for blood and battle, and to see humans cower at his feet.

Arlong wanted to leave his mark on the world, in more ways than one. He wanted to show that he had been there, whether it be through the tattoos he created or the nakama he made. But his need for a legacy didn't end there. He needed an impact.

Before the Sun Pirates, he was content with just being the protector of the Fishman District in his brother's absence. But then Tiger returned and Arlong followed him to the surface, and his horizons were broadened enough to realize that he had just been a big fish in a tiny pond. Even if he wanted to return to Fishman Island, the legacy he would make there wouldn't be enough to satisfy him anymore. His legend needed to be bigger, better, _more_.

He didn't figure out how to accomplish that until that fateful day on Foolshout Island. It was there he realized his purpose, why he had been cursed with such a temper and hatred towards humans. He realized why he couldn't just go along with Tiger's desires of peace. He was meant to be the Rage of the Fishmen. His temper was something for humans to fear, just like his god-given strength and his ability to breathe underwater.

It was something he was well-suited for, Arlong thought. He had never been good at formal education, if the school within the Noah could be called _that_. He didn't have the patience for playing nice with customers, although he'd made a damn good bartender when he wasn't too busy taste-testing his concoctions. Busting in heads and making humans tremble beneath him was something he was _good_ at. It didn't require any more practice than what he'd gotten as a kid in the Fishman District, with his natural talent and bloodthirsty temper.

Creating an empire for his brethren through what he'd been doing all his life seemed like the best way to leave his mark on the world. He'd crush the humans beneath his feet and make a home for his kind on the surface in one fell swoop. No longer would kids have to sneak off to look at Sabaody Park, not when his own empire existed.

Or so he'd thought.

Humans, tenacious little rats that they were, refused to bow down to him. First it was Nami's mother, then Aria, and now the wealthy cowards that were hiding from him in the building. Well, he had made the first two either die or become his, and he'd ensure that these pitiful weaklings would be able to make their choice soon.

The factory was close to the volcano, and it utilized lava to provide the heat necessary to melt steel into building materials. The air was dry and hot, sapping the moisture out of his gills greedily, and if Arlong wasn't about to crush some pathetic humans he would have left the unpleasant environment. As it was, he kept his discomfort to himself, and climbed the iron-grate staircase with his crewmates close behind.

On his left, Aria kept a close eye on their surroundings, with a guarded sort of wariness that would have made Kuroobi proud if they were on better terms. Kuroobi himself stayed on Arlong's right, doing much of the same. The only exception was that he also kept a close eye on Aria, while Aria largely ignored Kuroobi.

They went to the top floor, and found several humans cowering together. "How did you take out of Sea-Stone? That's suppose to be indestructible!"

"The Sea-Stone, yes. The walls, not so much." Aria said, smirking.

The humans glowered at her. "Well, no matter. It isn't just us here. Guards! Take out these savages!"

Several men in armor stepped out from their hiding spots, surrounding the small band of pirates. Arlong scoffed, and wielded Kiribachi. "Is this all you have to oppose us? What a joke. We're fishmen!"

The men didn't bother replying, and instead charged blindly.

"It isn't wise to attack your new landlords," Arlong advised, a wide grin spreading on his face before he swung his sword at the charging humans. He'd rather kill them for their impudence, attacking a fishman when they're just a lowly human, but that would mean a lesser haul. They'd live for now, though they were going to have a few injuries.

The rich bastards took the opportunity to throw themselves into a office and shut the door. Kuroobi made his way over, tossing aside a human who tried and failed to tackle him.

Aria had been waiting for a chance to use her new weapon all this time. She took it out of her backpack and strapped it to her arm.

The weapon looked much sleeker than the initial design. Whereas before it had been nothing more than a heavy box, the front now had wave-like curves that appeared to form a shield gauntlet. The speaker formed the shield, while the gauntlet could absorb sound and turn it into something ghastly.

Aria flipped the first of three switches. Aria grinned as she sent weak soundwaves directly into the recording chamber. She waited until one of the guards came swinging towards her to hit the amplifier switch. The guard swung down at her and she blocked it with the shield, giving out a pleased hum as the speaker grate retained its shape despite the guard's strength.

She flicked the last switch.

Arlong's head jerked along with every else's towards the location of the sudden piercing wail. Arlong's eyes widened as the guard's eyes rolled to the back of his head from the sudden onslaught, and he collapsed. What _really_ caught Arlong's eye was how the metal from the man's short sword was now curved, warped from such close proximity.

"Looks like your toy is a success, Aria-chan!" Arlong laughed as he sent a guard flying over the banister with a kick of his foot. "Though hopefully it can cause more destruction than _that_."

Aria smiled coyly. "Oh, that was one of the weaker settings."

"Show me what it can do!" Arlong encouraged, before lashing out towards an enemy.

"This door isn't budging." Kuroobi announced, his mouth set into a frustrated frown.

"Of course not!" One of the guards laughed. "Not even your freakish fishman strength can take down a Sea Stone reinforced door!"

"How annoying." Kuroobi grumbled, before lashing out with his hair at the still laughing guard. The guard shrieked as he too was thrown over the banister. "Of course, that doesn't mean anything if I can just break down the walls."

"Let Aria do it!" Arlong ordered. "I wanna see just how much her weapon can do!" Kuroobi frowned but motioned for Aria to do as instructed.

Aria nodded and joined Kuroobi. She started pumping sound into the receiver.

"I think we have a problem, guys!" Touya shouted. Everyone looked over to him, and saw him gaping at the machinery that was suddenly working so hard that the building was rumbling.

Arlong scoffed. "They're just trying to scare us off!"

Suddenly, one of the casting ladels began moving. The molten steel it was holding glowed out ominously as it shifted position.

Arlong's eyes widened as he realized just why it was rotating. "Get out of range from that spout!"

Thankfully Touya and the others didn't have to be told twice, as it wasn't long before the steel was gushed onto the catwalk. The burning metal oozed through the grates. The floor quickly became very hot as the temperature spiked, though not much of it remained as the floor dissolved under direct contact with the molten steel. The catwalk hissed as it melted, the sound reminding Arlong of branding irons.

There was a loud shriek from Aria's gauntlet, and the sound the steel walls made as they warped was like nails on a chalkboard.

Arlong tossed a guard down below, using the helpfully created hole in the catwalk.

"Surrender to the Arlong Pirates!" Kuroobi ordered.

"Like hell we will!" One of the humans crowed. Aria yelped, and Arlong saw her gauntlet get tossed across the catwalk, teetering along the edge.

Aria swore something _vicious_ and let loose a wild blast of sound. Arlong bit back a laugh at her foul mouth. She must have picked up some of those curses from Dresden.

Aria was feeling much less amused. Without her gauntlet, she was left to fight unarmed. She was well-aware that despite her training, she still didn't have much experience in an actual fight. The guards, on the other hand, were much more experienced and had no issue charging at her.

She felt a bit of panic as she side-stepped a sword, it missing her flesh by only an inch. She had no righteous fury or fear-filled adrenaline to guide her actions, like when she fought Grenouille.

Aria chewed at her lips as she watched the guard's movements, backing up to put space between them. The guard glanced over towards his bosses, and his eyes narrowed. He gripped the hilt of his sword firmly, and Aria saw his stance change as his determination strengthened.

The guard charged again, and Aria tensed. She let the blade go through her, grinning at the surprise on his face, and then slammed an _Aural Well_ into his chest. He flew back, his sword clattering against the catwalk in his disorientation.

Aria closed the gap between them. The guard's eyes widened as Aria let both her hands hover over his ears, and she let out a frequency high enough to make the man go unconscious. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he slumped backward. Aria wanted to give a triumphant yell, but an aggressive cry from Roe reminded her the fight wasn't over yet.

Arlong was starting to get fed up with all these shitty human guards. Despite the fact that the pirates were flinging them around like they were nothing, they kept getting back up. Arlong swung his sword and managed to fling two of them away, but two more took their place.

"You worthless humans! Just surrender, and I might let you live!" Arlong snarled.

One of the businessmen threw back their head and laughed. "Let _us_ live?" He ran to the controls, and the casting ladel started pouring faster and moving erratically.

"Get away from there!" Aria snapped, before holding out her palm. " _Aural Well_!"

She was too far away to really damage the controls, but the businessman collapsed, blood pouring from his ears. Aria passed through a guard that swung their tanto at her, letting Gajeel take care of him. Arlong saw her fussing over the controls, and decided to leave her to it.

The rest of the businessmen were being held by Kuroobi's hair. Only a few stragglers were making a nuisance of themselves. One in particular kept dodging Touya with surprising agility. He kept luring the fishmen into the path of the casting ladel, but Touya was wary enough to keep his distance. Until the human pulled out a small bomb.

"Shit! Scatter!"

The bomb damaged the structure enough that the entire catwalk was going to come down. The railings detached from the wall, tilting the floor.

The floor began to crumble, and everyone started running away from the danger zone. Aria couldn't leave her weapon, not after how much time and effort she'd put into it, and she ran to grab the gauntlet. The floor where it was located was still sturdy enough for her to make it over without an issue, but it began trembling as more and more of the support beams below crumbled away, whining as it failed to support its own weight. She grabbed it and glanced around, looking for the best way to flee, before an awful hissing sound made her reconsider.

She darted away, not caring where she went as long as it was away from the molten pit below her. The floor broke and twisted apart faster as she ran, sending more and more metal careening into oblivion. Aria tried to run faster.

She tripped. Her arm went out to catch her. She was inches away from the floor, the grates on the gauntlet digging into her chest. Aria swore. She stumbled to her feet.

She wasn't fast enough.

The catwalk crumbled below her ankles.

She fell.

Her wildly grabbing hand managed to find purchase on the end of a long piece of rebar. But even she could see this wasn't going to pan out well. She couldn't grab on fully with her machine in her other arm. The rest of the floor was still crumbling, and the rebar was slowly sinking towards the pit.

She was sinking towards the pit.

Aria yelped loudly at the thought, looking down at what could very well be oblivion, and tried to summon the energy to turn into sound.

She couldn't. She was panicking too much. She couldn't focus.

She was going to die here.

A hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her roughly upwards. Aria yelped, feeling like her arm was being ripped from the socket, but she only felt relief as she was hoisted away from the fall. Aria didn't get a good look at who was saving her, as they put her over their shoulder and booked it.

Just in time, too, as the piece of rebar she had been clinging to lost its hold and slipped, plummeting downward. Aria's breath hitched. That could have been her. Tears ran down her face in gratitude. She didn't think she feared death, but damn, she was so grateful to be alive.

When they were safely out of the danger zone and far enough away from the building, her savior finally set her down. Aria turned to thank them and...hesitated.

It was Kuroobi. Kuroobi had saved her. He wasn't even paying any mind to her now, despite the fact that he had just set her down. Instead, he was barking orders to the others. The businessmen who managed to survive were all unconscious, several of them looking like they'd broken some bones during their escape. Kuroobi had probably thrown them outside, not caring if they broke or not.

"I can't…" Aria murmured to herself. The simple statement was enough to turn Kuroobi's attention back on her. "Why did you save me?"

"Did you _want_ to die?" Kuroobi asked incredulously.

"Of course not!" Aria snapped. "But you hate me. It makes no sense for you to save me."

Kuroobi rolled his eyes. "You're part of the crew whether I like it or not. That's all it was."

So he admitted he hated her. Aria nodded at the confirmation. Still, she was grateful for her life. "...Thank you. For saving me." She grumbled, petulantly.

Kuroobi nodded, and turned to look at the others running about. "I don't hate you, by the way. You're just...I'm not good at trusting people." He sounded reluctant to admit that. " _Someone_ has to keep these bloody idiots alive." As he said that, Touya jumped off the railing and sent a thick metal pole off the edge, and its trajectory would send it right into Roe. Kuroobi cursed, and flung his hair out like a whip, catching the pole and sending it flying harmlessly away.

Now that she thought about it, Kuroobi did take a lot of time to watch out for the others. It didn't make her feel any better about the fact he distrusted her, but it put his actions more into perspective.

"You should go find Arlong." Kuroobi ordered.

Aria nodded, and left.

Arlong was easy to find, thankfully. He was just pushing a piece of rubble off Gajeel. The rock didn't seem to leave any major damage on the blacksmith, though it did leave a nasty looking scrape along his arm.

"Well, that went fan-fucking-tastic." Arlong huffed, crossing his arms and scowling. He took note of Aria and grinned. "Your weapon was impressive, though maybe you should keep a better grip on it."

Aria scowled as she remembered how one of the guards had ripped it off of her. "I'm definitely going to come up with a way to prevent that from ever happening again."

"Have you seen the others?" Gajeel asked, pushing himself up with a grimace. "Are they alright?"

"Roe and Touya got out alright, and Kuroobi managed to save some of the bosses. No clue about anyone else."

Arlong grimaced. "Well, we'll find out soon enough. Those humans awake?"

"Most of them are out for the count."

Arlong grinned. "I'll make sure they're up _real_ soon."

Within an hour, the businessmen who managed to survive were more than willing to give everything they owned to Arlong. It only took a little bit of threatening and a few broken bones. Arlong was very pleased, laughing heartily at their surrender.

"The city will never be able to keep up with your fees, though!" One of the businessmen warned.

"We'll just kill them all, then." Arlong said, flashing a bloodthirsty grin. Aria wasn't surprised at his callous response, but she didn't want to entertain it. The thought of killing all those people left her agitated and made her stomach turn.

"That's a waste of time and resources." Aria scoffed. Arlong seemed surprised, turning away from the businessmen to raise a brow at her.

Arlong sneered at her. "Oh? Do you have any better suggestions?"

"They can't pay, but they can produce, right?" Aria said, putting a hand on her hip. There were much better ways to use the people than blindly gathering money.

Kuroobi's eyes lit up, and he nodded in agreement. "We could implement a production tax for each household instead of a beri tax."

Arlong mulled it over. "Seems more hassle than it's worth. Nothing is better than cold hard cash."

"You're not wrong, but with how everything is structured you'd lose too many valuable assets. The city wouldn't even last a month with your usual prices." Aria said. She had seen children barely scraping up enough money to buy food earlier. Gathering 50,000 a month would be impossible.

"Vesteria is poor but the humans are good at their trades. If we get good enough quality goods, we can sell them ourselves." Kuroobi added. "More work, but better profits." Kuroobi hummed in contemplation. "We could even use it to swing favor with the marines."

"Now you're thinking too far into the future. Consider the next raid, or something." Aria chided. "At the very least, I can use some of the materials here and I'm sure Dresden and Gajeel can too. Getting materials straight from the factory will mean paying next to nothing for weapon repairs."

Kuroobi nodded. "Offsetting the cost of materials entirely will make budgeting for future raids easier."

Arlong eyed the two of them with slight stupor.

"When did you two get all buddy-buddy?" Arlong grimaced. "I think I liked it more when you two hated each other."

Aria pursed her lips. Kuroobi shrugged.

"We'll still be benefitting from ruling over this city if we go Aria's route. That's all that matters."

"Fine." Arlong grumbled.

Arlong allowed Kuroobi to take the charge with this new plan, and Kuroobi discussed what they would need with Dresden.

Aria used the downtime to inspect her gauntlet for any damages. She sat down in the shade on a large piece of rubble and though the heat was still sweltering, it was infinitely better than being anywhere near the cradle earlier. Aria turned the gauntlet over, carefully examining it. A couple of the grates had shallow cuts or were a bit smashed, and they would need to be repaired when she got the chance. Aria considered stronger materials or reinforcement as she made notes, idly humming.

The next few hours passed in a blur, and Aria followed around Arlong's group as they moved through the city. Kuroobi intended to have some humans specifically just organize the paperwork as their monthly dues, so that it would be easier to keep track of all their new charges. Until that was sorted out, Arlong went from district to district giving the people his demands and crushing any naysayers.

There were more than a few scuffles. The workers were no more willing to give up to Arlong than they had been to Gajeel or Dresden. Arlong got plenty of satisfaction from their quick defeats, and many of the workers changed their tune after a round with Kiribachi.

It was going to take time, but Arlong was taking over the sprawling city.

It was nearing evening when everything changed. They had been taking a quick break, discussing which part of the city to go to next.

Kuroobi noticed them first. "Rinka-san? What are you doing here?"

Aria turned around just in time to see Rinka punch Kuroobi with enough force that she sent him flying into a building.

"Rinka-chan? What are you doing?" Dresden asked, his voice cracking in his surprise.

"What the hell, Rinka?!" Arlong climbed to his feet quickly, his fists clenching in barely contained anger. He couldn't understand why Rinka, one of his most loyal nakama, would ever hurt one of their own. "You'd better have a good explanation for this!"

Rinka didn't respond. Instead, her eyes flitted over to the fishman closest to her. Roe was looking at her with an absolutely stupefied expression, his mouth agape. A second later and he was defending himself from his partner. "Rinka-nee?!"

Arlong moved to pull Rinka off of Roe, but another one of the fishmen that was left in Vienna got in his way. Arlong caught a glimpse of Ryoji's glazed over eyes as the minnow fishman tried to push him back. Normally Ryoji had a calculating gaze, and he would rarely attack someone head-on. Ryoji preferred long-range attacks. It was unsettling to Arlong that he would try anything physical.

Arlong threw Ryoji off of him, and felt a sense of relief when Ryoji didn't land too hard. Arlong didn't want to hurt his nakama.

"Hey, stop that!" Aria yelped behind him, and Arlong turned to see her dodging a blow from Takal. What was going on here?! Why were his crewmates attacking each other?

Arlong managed to catch Takal by the wrist, and then slammed him into the ground with his shoulder. Takal was made of sturdier stuff than Ryoji though, and was up again soon after. Like Ryoji, he had the same glazed over eyes.

Aria ducked behind Arlong, putting him between her and Takal. She didn't know what to do in this situation. She didn't want to attack him. Takal wasn't someone she knew well at all, but he was a crewmate. They had walked together after capturing Grenouille. Attacking him felt wrong, though she couldn't put her finger on exactly why.

Arlong was grateful Aria was letting him handle this. Takal was a physical fighter, likely to using his long limbs to grapple and throw his opponents or just crush them with his bare strength. Arlong used to spar with Takal and they knew each other's fighting styles well enough that it was usually fun.

Arlong had a feeling this wouldn't be.

"Kakuzu?!" Aria's surprised shout drew Arlong's attention, allowing Takal the chance to punch him in the face. Arlong snarled and stumbled back before refocusing on his nakama.

Aria let Arlong duke it out with Takal, more focused on the jellyfish fishman who had appeared with a large following of humans behind him. There was something strange about all of them. A heavy air surrounded them as they glared at the fishmen fighting amongst themselves.

A hot, dry breeze blew the scent of perfume in Aria's direction. It was so sickeningly sweet that Aria nearly gagged. But she didn't have time to focus on the scent when more and more people kept pouring around them, filling every crevice or space.

Aria's eyes widened as Kakuzu lifted his left tentacles into the air like a battle commander.

"Guys. Grenouille is here!" Aria yelled.

Kakuzu brought his tentacles down.

The humans behind him charged forward, screeching like banshees.

"What?!" Kuroobi had finally picked himself up, only to get swarmed by humans brandishing all sorts of weaponry.

"Are you saying that shitty old man is making our nakama do this?" Arlong snarled, not even bothering to hide his rage as he flung humans aside. Takal was still coming after him with ruthless abandon, paying no mind to the humans in his way.

"I don't know!" Aria replied, ducking under a young man's arm as he tried to bludgeon her. "Someone else could be making them act weird! But I smelled perfume!"

"Shit, I am really eager to kick that guy's ass." Roe said with a huff. Rinka was still focused on him, but now Roe had a bunch of humans also trying to hurt him. "We need to find him and crush him."

"I'll gladly leave ya to it!" Dresden shouted as he knocked away a handful of humans with his hammer. "If you can find him, that is! There's so many blasted humans!"

"You find Grenouille and bring him to me!" Arlong snarled, standing over a now unconscious Takal. "He's going to _pay_ for this." A shiver ran down Aria's spine as she caught the look in Arlong's eye.

"Yessir!" was the crew's rallying cry.

They kept fighting, long and hard. Eventually Roe managed to defeat Rinka. Kakuzu had disappeared into the crowd. No one knew where he was.

The swarm of bodies managed to separate everyone. Desperate and tired, Aria eventually took to the steel beams that criss-crossed across the sky so that she could look for her nakama. Thankfully the crew spread out across the city had caught wind of the fight, and they were down below as well. People stretched on as far as she could see, and the sound of battle was deafening.

Everything was happening too much, and Aria could just _barely_ keep herself out of range of this asshole with a Sea-Stone spear. He was extremely good at catching up to her, even when she flew up onto the steel beams he followed. She focused on avoiding him and fleeing him so much that she didn't notice one of his allies until the knife was plunged into her hip.

With a foul curse, Aria kicked her stabber down into a sea of angry pirates. Whimpering, she pulled the knife out of her, tossing it towards the spearman. He dodged it, but his footing failed him, and he wobbled on the beams. Seeing her chance to lose her other attacker, Aria let loose a powerful shriek, focusing it on the spearman's weapon. The steel hilt shuddered and warped, becoming useless, but the Sea-Stone point was still intact. The decibels were loud and painful enough to startle her opponent into falling, and he disappeared below.

Aria jerked around, looking for Arlong. She spotted him far in the distance. He was raging against Grenouille's brainwashed citizens, still utterly enraged that Grenouille would even _consider_ using Arlong's nakama against him. Even from this far away, Aria could see that he was covered in blood, making Aria's breath catch in her chest. If Aria could get to his side, she could help. She needed to help. She couldn't let another one of her nakama be hurt by Grenouille.

Her wound throbbed painfully, hot blood pouring from it. Aria grimaced. Instinctively, she wanted to take care of her own wound and then stay as far away from all this fighting as possible. But unless Arlong got lucky, he wasn't going to land a single hit on the old man. He needed her.

It was harder than she expected to ignore the pain as she darted across the crisscrossing beams. Running only agitated it, and Aria was grateful that no one could hear her pitiful whines over the roaring battle. She couldn't concentrate enough to maintain her intangible form for more than a few moments at a time, but she was able to clear large gaps that would have cost her a lot of time otherwise.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally made it to where Arlong was berserking. Aria froze. Grenouille was here and facing Arlong, even with his mangled limbs. Even from above, she could see Arlong's veins protruding in rage as he threw whatever was nearby at Grenouille and blood dribbling from his chin. Several humans, likely dead, were sprawled out behind Arlong. Some of them were impaled or had giant chunks bitten from their bodies. Aria covered her mouth and gasped at the sight. She stood, shell-shocked, until an angry howl from Arlong brought her back. He had thrown a pillar at Grenouille, but it had passed through him harmlessly.

"Arlong, you need Sea-Stone or you can't hit him!" Aria yelled, inwardly cursing herself for being so hasty with the knife earlier.

Arlong and Grenouille both seemed to take note of her. Aria felt a chill go up her spine as both men eyed her. Arlong looked at her with a grim sort of resolve; Grenouille looked at her with a crazed delight.

"She's _here_." Aria heard Grenouille croon.

An angry snarl flitted over Arlong's face, and suddenly he was lunging at the old man with his teeth bared. Arlong's jaw clenched right through a steel beam, passing through Grenouille harmlessly.

Aria swore. Arlong wasn't listening to her at all, was he? She'd just have to take down the old man herself again. She wished she wasn't so drained, though. Idly, she wondered if she ought to make a smaller handheld version of her weapon for moments like this.

Grenouille lunged at her, and she lept to meet him. The air was filled with a disgustingly tepid smell, so bad her eyes watered, and she let loose a wall of sound. Her vision blurred and she wasn't sure she hit him. They certainly didn't connect as Aria landed on the ground roughly.

Arlong pulled her up by her arm. "The hell are you doing? You, you-"

"Get some Sea-Stone," Aria gasped, blinking rapidly to clear the tears. The scent wasn't as bad down here, and a breeze was pushing it further from them. She couldn't see Grenouille anywhere, which-

"You're bleeding!" Arlong cut off her train of thought, the furious accusation made worse by his heavy glare.

"I know, I should have kept the knife, but we need to find something else." Aria's words were more rambled thoughts than anything. "I need to find Grenouille, where is he, where is he?"

"Here!" Grenouille shouted. He threw a strange liquid from a vial, aimed at Aria. But Arlong pulled her back, shielding her. Grenouille frowned. "You keep getting in my way."

The liquid didn't seem to burn Arlong, but it seeped into his clothes. The scent was strange, making Aria feel confused and angry. Arlong held his head as grumbled under his breath. "More of this shit. Keeps messing with my fucking head." He shook his head as if to clear it, but a moment later he was snarling angrily. "How dare _you_ , a measly fucking human, hurt my nakama like this?"

He took a threatening step towards Grenouille, and even in her haze Aria could see the blind rage had taken him over. It was affecting her too. She needed to get away from Arlong for the moment. Away from the scent that was making her blood rage. She needed to find Sea-Stone, so that Arlong could fight Grenouille. Her hip throbbed with pain, and she felt like collapsing.

But she couldn't. She needed to find something, anything that would incapacitate Grenouille. The old man wasn't bothering to use his broken leg or arm at all. He was experienced enough as a Logia that he could just float as long as he wanted, meaning he was an utter nuisance to Arlong. The sawshark was fighting through his exhaustion on pure rage alone, but Aria didn't see his stamina lasting longer when he kept having to close the distance so much.

"You'll regret ever attacking the Arlong Pirates, human scum! But I won't kill you. Oh, no. I'll crush your bones, one by one, until you can't lift a single finger against me!"

The pure hate in Arlong's voice made Aria's blood run cold. But she forced herself to move.

Aria ran to a random shop, touching anything and everything. None of it made her feel weak, nor did it give off the tell-tale frequency of Sea-Stone. She checked the next shop, and the next one, and the next one. None of them had any.

Aria knew there had to be some in this city. But where? Her eyes settled on another factory. There! The factories would have high enough heat to melt Sea-Stone.

The factory doors were already wide open when she arrived, so Aria didn't even bother to stop at the entrance. She grinned at her good luck when she found a sign displaying the layout of the factory, and she whooped in delight when there was a place that manufactured Sea-Stone.

It was a long run to the area that the Sea-Stone was kept. Aria swore when she saw most of the product hadn't been melted yet, instead being in giant slabs.

Aria followed the assembly line until she reached smaller ingots of Sea-Stone. The majority of them were still too large, but she found a cart and moved what she could over. It wasn't elegant, but it would do.

Arlong focused on Grenouille with grim determination. The shitty old man kept trying to rush past him and follow after Aria. Arlong wouldn't let him out of his sight.

Arlong would never admit it, but he was getting tired. The old man kept tossing out scents that made Arlong rage and go berserk, causing him to waste energy by needlessly thrashing towards the human. His hair and clothes were covered in blood from human pawns that Grenouille threw at Arlong while he was enraged, and he had torn through them mercilessly with his teeth and sword. The heat, acrid air was getting to Arlong, sapping the moisture from his skin and causing him to sweat out what was left.

Arlong figured he could fight for about thirty more minutes before he became dangerously dehydrated.

Aria would be back before then. She had to be. Arlong refused to be defeated by a logia ever again.

Arlong chased after Grenouille, swiping at him with Kiribachi. It slid right through him, and he took no damage, but was it Arlong's imagination the old man look tired? A burst of energy came from the realization that Arlong was slowly whittling down Grenouille's stamina. Arlong was proud of his endurance, and there was no way in hell he'd lose in a battle of attrition against a _human_.

Grinning, Arlong charged at Grenouille, swinging his sword right through the old man.

The old man didn't like the treatment, and with his wobbling and broken arm, he slowly opened a vial of perfume and tossed it at Arlong.

Arlong swore, smelling that berserker scent before it even saturated his clothing again. If it hit him there wasn't any chance Arlong would have the sense of mind to keep up with his newly found attrition plan.

Arlong smacked the vial with Kiribachi, and it flew away, but not before dripping the intoxicating substance all over the sword. Arlong could feel the scent tickling his nostrils, filling his head with anger, and he glowered at Grenouille with pure hate.

He'd kill this man, consequences be damned, and he'd subjugate the rest of this damn island. Blood would pour from every human body, filling the canals and dying the whole sea red. They'd see why he was the Rage of the Fishman today, and Grenouille would be his first victim! He'd sink his teeth into Grenouille and he would bleedbleedbleed _bleedbleedbleedbleed_ _ **bleedbleedbleedbleed**_.

" _Aural Well_!" There was a loud screech and Arlong felt like his entire body locked up, right down to his organs. He collapsed to his knee, clenching his eyes shut tight; Grenouille fell down to the ground, landing hard on his side. They were both left sputtering as the attack ended as quickly as it began.

Arlong opened his eyes and glowered as he saw Aria standing beside him. He wanted to be angry at her for daring to attack him, but suddenly he realized the effect of Grenouille's perfume was gone. Arlong wasn't full of artificially induced bloodthirsty rage anymore. Oh, he was certainly still pissed and willing to beat Grenouille into a pulp, but he could focus once more.

"You okay?" Aria asked, her brows knitting together. She looked worse than when she left, thick trails of blood running down her leg. She was keeping all her weight on her right side, her knuckles clenched so tightly around the bad she carried that they were nearly beige.

"...If you ever attack me again, you'll pay severely." Arlong grumbled, holding his head with his hand as he stood up.

Aria huffed. "Don't get possessed, then." Before Arlong could make a snappy comment, Aria tossed him a bar from the bag. "It's Sea Stone."

Grenoulle's eyes snapped open, and focused on the ingot Arlong was carrying.

"Oh? You did quite well, Aria-chan." Arlong grinned viciously. He idly tossed it up and down, measuring its weight. It's weight was solid, and Arlong felt its indestructible design as he clenched it in his hand.

Grenouille scrambled up into a sitting position, then began floating as his lower half turned into sound.

"I won't let you." Grenouille said, gritting his teeth. "I must finish my work! I must!"

"Shut up." Aria seethed, and sent a large wave of sound at the old man. It was a hair-trigger attack, with no real focus in it and all power. Still, it pushed Grenouille back and stunned him.

Arlong took the opportunity presented. He threw the Sea Stone ingot like it was a spear, and it hit Grenouille's collarbone. Arlong grinned as he heard the bone _crunch_ and the ingot embedded itself in his target's skin.

Grenouille wailed and collapsed to the ground again. His eyes were full of fury, and despite the Sea Stone weakening him, he grabbed the bar and tugged until it came free. Arlong watched in disgust as Grenouille got himself back up again.

Aria held out more bars for Arlong to take.

Grenouille had plenty of endurance left in him. In his desperation, he was able to avoid several of Arlong's destructive throws. Aria swore and dropped the bag at Arlong's feet, lunging after the old man.

A wild look was in Grenouille's eyes, and he sneered as Aria rushed toward him. "You! Your scent _will_ be mine!"

"Fat fuckin' chance!" Aria spat, before tossing a hard right hook imbued with a sonar afterbite. Grenouille seized as the hit connected, the vibrations shocking him down to his bones.

"Move, Aria!" Arlong ordered, and Aria just barely managed to get out of the way in time.

Arlong pinned Grenouille to the ground with four Sea-Stone ingots, his strength making it easy to pin through the old man's body.

Grenouille howled and howled like a mad dog. Aria looked at him in disgust as he writhed on the ground. Then she stepped over towards him, placing her hands on either side of his head. Grenouille didn't seem to recognize the danger, as he kept howling.

"Aria-chan, you can't kill him…" Arlong warned, although at this point he didn't really care. Arlong wanted food and booze, a shower, a fuck, and a nap in that order.

"Don't worry about it." Aria murmured. Then her hands buzzed with the frequency that Arlong was quickly beginning to associate with her knocking people unconscious with.

Grenouille gargled and passed out, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He stilled so quickly it was almost as if he had died, but Arlong could still make out the rise and fall of his chest.

Aria stood and dusted off her knees. "I'm glad _that's_ finally dealt with."

Arlong nodded. "He was such a pain in the ass. You did well today."

Surprise flickered over Aria's face before she smiled. "Thanks. Everything certainly kept me on my toes."

Aria swayed. Arlong saw her eyes widen before she collapsed, crumpling on the ground with a gasp.

Arlong swore and rushed over to her, his eyes fixating on her wounded hip. The inexperienced hermit had done well, fighting while injured. But now that the fight was over, everything must have hit her at once.

He crouched down next to her, taking in her condition. Her skin was ashen and her breathing was labored as Aria clenched her teeth in pain. Blood seeped from her hip slowly, soaking her once pink cotton shorts a dark crimson.

"Sorry." Aria murmured, almost desperate sounding. "Just give me a moment. I'll be fine."

Arlong wanted to roll his eyes. He could see why Kuroobi found her self-reliance annoying now. "Like hell you will."

Aria glared at him weakly, but bit her tongue. Or she did until Arlong picked her up, shifting her in his arms so that she'd be comfortable to carry even if she passed out.

"Wh-what are you _doing_?!" Aria shrieked, her power leaking out through her indignant cry.

Arlong winced at the offending volume. "You're going to agitate your wound if you keep walking around."

"It's not so bad that you need to manhandle me!" Aria growled, though it lost all its intimidation when she whimpered in pain.

"You're too proud for such a fragile human." Arlong grumbled. He could see the ire in her eyes. "Just shut up and rely on your captain."

Aria huffed and relented.

Arlong considered it good fortune that she was too exhausted to fight back, until she passed out minutes later. It sent a jolt of worry through him when her head lolled back. He didn't know how bad her hip was injured, or how much blood Aria had lost during the fighting. She was so tiny in his arms that even losing a small amount of blood would be concerning, Arlong presumed.

At least Grenouille's manipulations brought Kakuzu to Vesteria. It was just a matter of finding the doctor.

The humans had wisely stayed far away from Arlong's fight with Grenouille after the sawshark had torn a man's arm clean off with his teeth, so the surrounding area was free of gawking humans. The reminder made Arlong want to wipe his mouth. He could practically feel the lingering blood around his mouth.

He stiffened as he wondered what Aria would think of him now that she had seen how he truly fought against despicable humans. There was no way she could have missed the bodies that Arlong left in his wake nor the blood seeping into his clothes.

Aria wasn't use to carnage or fighting in the slightest. He remembered how she had looked the day prior, when Arlong had killed that piece of shit human for running his mouth. Even though she hid it quickly, she was horrified. She had eyed Kiribachi warily until Arlong cleaned it.

"Arlong-san!" Someone called, breaking him from his thoughts. Arlong saw Salazar run up to him.

Salazar was a moray eel type fishman, with speckled grey and black skin. Hair as dark as oil framed his boxy face, and where a nose would be were just two holes. Jade eyes flashed with worry as he took sight of Aria.

"Is the old man dead? Did he kill the hermit?" Salazar asked, his voice hurried.

"Old man's not dead yet." Arlong huffed. "He's back there, pinned by Sea-Stone. He's not moving any time soon." Arlong frowned down at Aria. "She'll be fine as long as we get her to Kakuzu-nii."

Salazar nodded, and pointed back the way he came. "There's a shop that has a cow's skull sign, and Kakuzu-san is working there for now."

"Thanks." Arlong would find it soon. "Go keep an eye on Grenouille. I doubt that bastard won't hesitate to cut off his own legs if it means he can escape."

Salazar balked at the thought. "Sure thing, captain!" He cast one last glance at Aria, eyes wide and full of concern.

* * *

A few hours later, they had finally finished dealing with all the uprisings. Arlong was more than exhausted, sneering at any human that came within his line of vision. But it felt good to finally have this rebellious area under his control.

Tomorrow they'd begin dishing out tasks for the humans to complete. It was obnoxious that the town wouldn't fatten Arlong's wallet any time soon, but it would increase their military might. Arlong was well aware after fighting the blacksmiths that they needed better weaponry.

Arlong visited the makeshift infirmary, worried about how many of his brethren had been injured during the scuffle with the resisting blacksmiths and Grenouille.

There were about ten of his men inside now, though thankfully none of them had injuries as bad as Hachi had. Kurayami was getting stitched up at the moment, his mouth set in a firm line as Kakuzu worked.

"Yo. How's everyone holding up?" Arlong asked Kakuzu, his voice low. Several crewmates were sleeping or trying to get what rest they could.

Kakuzu made a contemplative noise. "Better than I expected. There will be some new scars here and there, but I doubt there will be any long-term injuries."

"The little lady got a nasty hit though, boss." Kurayami murmured. His eyes were clenched closed, and he winced every time Kakuzu dabbed at the gash on his arm.

"Figured." Arlong nodded, crossing his arms. He glanced over at the sleeping hermit, who for once wasn't curled on her side. Aria slept flat on her back, her arm curled protectively over her injured hip. Even from this distance, Arlong could tell her complexation was duller than usual. But she seemed to be sleeping well enough for the moment, so he brushed off his worry.

"She lost quite a bit of blood." Kakuzu agreed. "But she'll be fine short-term, so long as Grenouille doesn't come after her again."

At the mention of Aria's stalker, Arlong bared his teeth. "No. He won't be a problem anymore." Arlong had made sure of that himself. The filth was locked up even tighter than last time, with heavy Sea-Stone shackles and all of his clothes removed.

Kakuzu looked like he wanted to ask, but didn't. Instead he gave a report on his other patients. "Borze has a cracked rib, Roe merely sprained his wrist, and Touya got a minor concussion. Pisaro got into a scuffle with Largo and they broke each other's noses. Ryoji, Seta, and Kurayami here all just needed stitches."

"One of those blacksmiths had a pretty neat glaive that I got too much first-hand experience with being on the receiving end." Kurayami chuckled at his own expense.

"Maybe don't get so interested in the enemy's weapon next time, Kurayami-nii." Arlong grinned half-heartedly.

"I'll try to keep that in mind. Kakuzu-san's bedside manner is nonexistent right now, anyway."

"You try being brainwashed for several hours and then get stuck patching your crewmates back together." Kakazu pouted.

"Aww, I didn't mean it like that. You did your best, being that old man's ticket to freedom like that."

Kakuzu pressed down very hard on Kurayami's stitching. "Yow!"

Arlong shook his head, bemused. "Get some rest, you two. We'll spend the next day or two loading up on goodies and be on our way back to Arlong Park."

"Sounds good, boss." Kurayami nodded.

Kakuzu frowned. "So long as Hachi stays in bed for the next week, that's fine."

"I'm sure you'll manage to keep him contained somehow." Arlong grinned, knowing full well that Hachi would try and sneak out the moment he was unsupervised.

"I'm glad you had faith in me," Kakuzu said dryly.

"I'm heading out to find a place to sleep. Good night." Arlong waved as he left.

The crew chorused their goodbyes.

Arlong glowered up at the volcano as he trudged through the town. Today had been harder than it needed to be. Arlong pondered his own strength. While he was certainly strong enough to conquer these measly humans even despite their shitty logia abilities, what did the future hold?

Would he be able to conquer this sea as easily as he expected?

Suddenly Arlong recalled Borsalino, and his embarrassing defeat.

Arlong shook his head to dispel the memory.

He had to get stronger. Strong enough that someone like Grenouille or Borsalino would never be a problem again.

Arlong would rule this sea with an iron fist. There would be no stopping him.

He was going to be king.

* * *

AN: Wow. It's been too long. This chapter gave me a LOT of hell and I'm finally glad to be done with it. It can get bent. Hahahaha, laugh at my bad joke.

In all reality, the last 8 months or so have been...really bad, but also really good. My Grandpa died. I was basically forced to be the manager of my department, despite not wanting to be. I got on meds for my depression and anxiety. I got a cat. My car died, but I got a sweet new one. I decided to go back to school. It's been hectic, but I've always kept Hellbent in my mind. Every time I got a review it made me super happy and I really wanted to work on the story. Thanks for sticking with me, ya'll!


	26. Have a Little Rest

**Chapter 26:** Have a Little Rest

* * *

Aria didn't know where she was. This was becoming more and more common in her life, she realized with annoyance. But she wasn't alone. There were people all around her, breathing quietly or snoring loud. Aria could smell disinfectant and fresh bandages. She was far more acquainted with those smells than she would like.

Her hip throbbed in agony as Aria sat up, and she clenched a hiss behind her teeth.

"Woah there, missy." Kakuzu chided from his makeshift desk. "Don't move too fast and bust your stitches open."

"Stitches?" Aria echoed, glancing down. Around her waist were tight bandages. Her hip throbbed. Aria recalled getting stabbed, but how long ago? "...What happened?" She clutched her head, suddenly feeling exhausted as everything hit her at once.

Kakuzu got up, and slowly worked his way across the small room filled with sprawled out limbs. Crewmates had passed out in here, whether they were injured or not, and there was barely any room to move.

"It's about four in the morning." Kakuzu said. He peered down at her, examining her bandages with a critical eye. "You've been out for about half a day, give or take."

"Nnng, I lost so much _time_." Aria grumbled. Her head swam and she felt like she could still sleep for another half-day and not feel fully rested.

"Nonsense." Kakuzu chided. "You were injured and you needed medical treatment, along with a healthy dose of rest. I don't know how you managed to run around on that hip of yours, but if you were any more reckless, you could've caused serious danger to yourself."

Aria raised a brow, prompting Kakuzu to go on.

"Your wound cut into the psoas major muscle. That muscle connects your spine to your thigh. Thankfully, it didn't tear or sever it completely. If it had, you might not be able to walk." Aria inhaled sharply. "As it is, whatever weapon was slipped off and nicked one of your fallopian tubes." Kakuzu paused, letting that sink in.

Aria frowned, considering what that meant. "But that will heal, yes?"

Kakuzu nodded, smiling with a perfected smile of reassurance. "So long as you stay mostly on bed rest for the next few weeks, you should recover with no long-term injuries. But if you act recklessly, you might significantly reduce your ability to reproduce."

Aria wanted to spit in disgust. Bed rest! A few weeks! She'd die of boredom long before then, getting antsy just even considering that possibility.

Kakuzu must have been able to tell what she was thinking. "You're at an age where you still heal fast, so don't look so disgruntled. We'll get you set up on a diet that will promote muscle repair, Aria-san. In two weeks, you should be able to move around functionally, but no combat."

Aria nodded, but she still wasn't happy with the concept. She had to go back to Vienna to even leave the island. How was she going to manage to get there while on bed rest?!

As it turned out, someone had already thought of that. Takal sheepishly offered to take her back to the ship along with a bunch of other supplies. He was horribly embarrassed that Grenouille had escaped his watch not once but twice.

So Aria found herself in the back of a wagon, wedged between countless boxes filled with goodies taken from Vesteria. She hissed every time a wheel hit a rock or a pothole, the sudden jostling agitating her hip.

Takal was not very good at steering the horses, and they had to stop repeatedly. But Aria was forced to stay in the back of the wagon, staring at the sky and idly recalling how fearsome Arlong had looked yesterday during his fight with Grenouille.

It wasn't as if she was unaware Arlong was a berserker. She had figured that out on Mata Nui, watching him get into a brawl with the marines. But Aria hadn't expected to see him covered in blood and surrounded by bodies.

Aria closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

Arlong was a pirate. Blood and death were more a part of his life than perhaps any other career. But did he have to look so...so... _beautiful_? Her heart had raced upon seeing him covered in blood. Aria remembered her sweaty palms. She had blamed it yesterday on the anticipation of fighting Grenouille, but was it really?

Arlong's teeth had glinted in the sunlight, the blood making them shine in a different tone. His muscles were covered in a fine sheen of sweat and blood, soaking his clothes and making them cling to his skin. He had such a dangerous glint in his eyes, as well…

Aria was so preoccupied that when Takal dropped the back hatch of the wagon, Aria nearly jumped out of her own skin.

"Didn't mean to startle you…" Takal apologized, blinking owlishly.

Aria could feel her face heating up. "It's fine! I was just daydreaming!"

"Well, I figured we ought to stop for lunch, yeah?" Takal offered her a roll filled with cheese and dried meat. Aria took it gratefully.

Takal sat on the back hatch, his legs swinging idly as he ate his own rolls.

"Do you think every island will be as difficult as this one?" Aria asked.

"Poseidon, I hope not!" Takal swore, frowning at the very suggestion. "When Arlong-san said he'd build us a kingdom on the surface, I kinda hoped we'd settle down after this first island." He sighed. "Bit naive, I guess. Gotta have money to build a kingdom."

"Money makes the world go 'round." Aria hummed.

"True that!" Takal laughed. "But seriously, I'm gonna beg Arlong-san for an _easy_ island next!"

Aria looked up at the clouds. "I'd rather he just relax for a while…"

* * *

The next few days passed in a blur. Whether it was gathering treasure hoards, hauling them to the ship, or finishing up paperwork, everyone was hecticly working.

"We need a few sets of DenDen Mushi." Arlong announced as they walked through the streets of Vesteria one last time. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell of smoke and smog. He'd agree with Grenouille on that - humanity's industry reeked only slightly worse than their bodies.

"Yes, many of the pitfalls we encountered could have been prevented with access to those." Kuroobi agreed.

"There's a shop that has them not far from here, Arlong-san." Gajeel said, taking the lead. "We should be able to take some, no problem."

"Good." Arlong grinned.

They reached the store quickly, but it was a small place. None of them were able to stand to their full height inside the building, though that worked to their advantage as they quickly convinced the shopkeep to hand over a set of ten DenDen Mushi. Only three were long-range DenDen Mushi, capable of calling the next sea over. Six were medium-range DenDen Mushi, capable of calling as far as Loguetown. The last DenDen Mushi was short-range, only capable of calling within a hundred miles.

Arlong, Kuroobi, and Chew would claim the long-range snails, while the medium-range variety would only be put to use during raids or supply runs. The last one was for Aria. Her island's isolation made delivering simple messages irritating and Arlong hoped this would be a simple solution to that, even though Hachi was still going to be expected to keep an eye on her daily.

"These seem to be pretty good quality, chuu." Chew mused as he inspected the merchandise.

"Yes, they would have cost a fortune." Kuroobi smirked at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper tried really hard to not pee themself. It was bad enough he had to pay their hefty labor tax.

"Their maintenance will be a pain, though." Gajeel grumbled as he flipped through a care book. "At least Aria-san should always have some greens growing for them."

"If Nami hasn't killed them all." Chew snickered.

Arlong scoffed, and crossed his arms. "If you have such little faith in her, why didn't you stay behind and play gardener?"

"Chew-san has even worse gardening skills than Kakuzu-san, boss." Gajeel said, not even bothering to look up from the manual.

"Wow, way to throw me under the guillotine, chuu." Chew grumbled, frowning at the metalsmith. Gajeel grinned, despite not even giving Chew his attention.

"Nami-san grew up tending to an orchard, so I'm sure Aria-san's plants will still be alive to sustain our DenDen Mushi." Kuroobi said, trying to placate all sides.

"If you say so, Kuroobi-san."

"This is the last thing on our agenda. We should get back to the ship. I want to get back to Arlong Park before it's too dark." Arlong said, tapping his foot impatiently.

"You just want to throw a party, boss."

"Of course I do, you saw how much we raked in." Arlong was absolutely gleeful at the sight of the hoard he'd saw on the boat, and it hadn't even been finished growing yet.

"Oh yeah, isn't 10% of that Kurayami's?"

Fuck. He'd forgotten about that shitty birthday drinking contest reward he'd made.

"Dammit..." Arlong grumbled. That certainly put a damper on his spirits.

"Don't worry, chuu! You can just give him all the lame treasure!" Chew snickered, nudging Arlong in the side.

"That's not a bad idea…"

"You're a bad influence." Kuroobi murmured, shaking his head in exasperation. Chew only grinned wider.

They passed by Kakuzu's makeshift infirmary, and Kuroobi stepped inside. All of Kakuzu's patients had left for the ship by now, so it was only the jellyfish who stayed. Kuroobi noticed that Kakuzu didn't intend to stay for long. All of his supplies were in the process of being packed up.

Kuroobi knocked on the wall. Kakuzu looked up, eyes wide, but his expression quickly turned into a pleased smile.

"Ah, Kuroobi-san, how are you doing? I haven't had time to give you a check up after all this excitement." He stood and began inspecting Kuroobi.

"Don't worry yourself, Kakuzu-kun. I wasn't injured." Kuroobi said. Kakuzu nodded and relaxed. "How are you holding up?"

"Well enough, I suppose. There were no casualties, and with rest there won't be any long-term injuries, either."

"You know that's not what I mean." Kuroobi said, crossing his arms.

Kakuzu shook his head. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

Kuroobi grinned. "I would hardly be fit for my officer position if you could."

Kakuzu scoffed. "That's certainly true. I suppose…" Kakuzu sighed. "I suppose I wonder how Jinbe-kun would feel about all this."

Kuroobi's mouth formed a flat line. He crossed his arms and stared out into the town. "He wouldn't approve. Not anymore. Not after...you know."

Kakuzu nodded grimly. "Yeah. You're right." He wrung his tentacles together. Kuroobi could read the sudden anxiety and tension in the jellyfish's frame. Kakuzu wasn't made to be a war doctor. He was a pirate out of camaraderie.

"Do you regret leaving him behind?" Kuroobi asked. "You could have gone back to Fishman Island with the others, you know."

"I couldn't go back." Kakuzu said simply. "Jinbe-kun asked me to keep an eye on Arlong-san."

"That doesn't answer my question." Kuroobi pointed out. He was well aware that Jinbe was the only reason they had a doctor in the Arlong Pirates. Aladdin and the others had stayed with Jinbe, and not even an aide wanted to side with Arlong.

"It does too." Kakuzu mimicked Kuroobi's posture. "You would do anything Jinbe-kun asked of you, just as I would. As I have."

Kuroobi shook his head. "No. I wouldn't have. Arlong-san is my nakama, and he comes first."

Kakuzu looked surprised. "And here I thought we were rivals for Jinbe-kun's attention."

Kuroobi ignored the burning on his cheeks in favor of coughing into his fist. "A silly crush isn't worth throwing away decades of friendship, you know."

"Decades of friendship doesn't mean following them to _this_ , either." Kakuzu spoke, voice barely above a whisper. "Conomi and Mata Nui left so much blood on our hands. And Vesteria could have been worse than both of those combined."

Kuroobi wanted to refute it, but all he could do was nod grimly. "I know. Thankfully with Aria's quick thinking we were able to keep that from happening. And I won't let Arlong-san get too out of control, you know that."

Kakuzu looked like he desperately wanted to believe Kuroobi. But the doctor's breath hitched, and he let out a heavy sigh, running a tentacle through his blonde hair.

"Arlong-san almost went on a rampage that night Aria-san was taken, you know. And I don't know what happened during his fight with Grenouille, but...Arlong carried Aria back while being covered in far more blood than either of them could have possibly lost."

Kuroobi had seen the damage of the resulting fight. It had been unnerving, to the point where Kuroobi had felt the need to keep a closer eye on Arlong. Whatever the old man had done to Arlong, it had unleashed his temper into a frenzy. It was a miracle Arlong had calmed down on his own. Grenouille was in a few more pieces now, but he was at least alive.

"I'll keep an eye on him." That was all Kuroobi could promise.

Kakuzu nodded. "Keep an eye on Aria-san, too. I don't want her agitating her wound."

Kuroobi hummed flatly. "I'm more concerned about how close she and Arlong-san are getting. Not that I don't mind having an extra voice of reason against Arlong's outbursts, but…"

Kakuzu raised a fine brow, looking at Kuroobi through his bangs. "Would you rather have a much worse bloodbath on your hands? I can think of much worse things happening than Arlong-san suddenly coddling a human."

Kuroobi closed his eyes, considering. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and nodded. "I suppose you're right, Kakuzu-kun. It's just...hard to let my guard down around a human."

All Kakuzu could reply to that was a somber smile and a small nod.

* * *

It had been three days since Aria was prescribed two weeks of bed rest, but she was already too antsy to stay idle. She would sneak out of the infirmary to help with a load of supplies every so often, careful not to push herself too much. Her hip throbbed if she used it carelessly and there would occasionally be a spike of pain. But she just couldn't sit still. The mindless waiting reminded her too much of the hospital on Aqua Atlus.

Aria slowly and carefully followed behind Roe and Dresden as they effortlessly carried the large pallet on board, barely able to see over her box of supplies. It was always impressive how fishmen managed to hoist such large and heavy equipment, and the only reason the two needed each other's support was because it was awkwardly shaped.

As they dropped their supplies off in the hull, Aria glanced around. They'd pillaged a lot more this time, probably because they had stolen a boat to haul it back unlike on Mata Nui. It still made her uncomfortable to just take as she pleased, but she wasn't going to stop the others. Mostly the crew seemed interested in trinkets or supplies, pertaining to their individual interests, and Aria doubted much of what they actually stole would impact the livelihoods of the distillery workers considering the fishmen had no interest in raw essences. There might be more impact on the residents of Vesteria and Vienna, but they based their livelihoods on the goods produced.

Aria did a double-take when she noticed one pallet that seemed to stand out from all the rest, though. It was a sizeable tower of books, nearly as tall as she was, and was nearly five feet wide.

"What's with all of those books?" Aria asked, approaching it and inspecting it closer. Most of them seemed pretty generic, just cookbooks, novels, some local history books, but Aria also spied some more interesting things. The pallet had already been wrapped in plastic to keep it from collapsing or spilling, but that didn't stop Aria from brushing a finger against the spine of _Advanced Circuitbuilding_ in a childish sort of eagerness to take it from its place and read it until she had gleaned everything she could from it.

Dresden looked up from the pallet he'd been rebalancing. "Ah, those? Arlong-san asked people to grab whatever books they thought you might find interesting."

Aria hesitated for a moment, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, though most of us don't exactly know what you find _interesting_ so I have a feeling they might've just grabbed whatever." Dresden rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, a small and embarrassed smile slipping onto his face. "Aaaaand, I might've grabbed a few random books for myself. Sorry 'bout that."

Aria laughed. "No, that's fine. I'm...honestly kind of surprised you all grabbed all this for me..." She looked over the pile in reverence. Her chest felt tight, but in a good way. It still felt so alien, to have people care about her like this.

"Don't worry about it. You're part of the crew, too, y'know?" Dresden grinned genuinely, and Aria felt her heart swell a bit. "We were suppose to find sea charts for Nami-chan, too, but this island didn't have anything besides what you got at that shipping company."

Aria couldn't help but smile. Even though she was still slowly working on truly becoming their nakama, Arlong was still looking out for her and Nami's interests. She wouldn't have been able to just take all these books on her own, too caught up in her own mindset of being just a civilian even though she wasn't anymore. Arlong knew that well enough, especially after the aromatherapy shop.

He'd looked out for her a lot these last few days. Even though there had been so much going on.

"He's only sweet when no one is looking, after all…" Aria murmured, running her fingers against her spoils one last time before she left to rest in the infirmary for a while more.

* * *

They were finally ready to head back to Arlong Park. The pirates unfurled the sails and weighed anchor, cheering in unison as they left Vienna's port.

The pirates had spent far too long on Cinnabar.

The breezy weather made for good sailing. It wasn't long until the island was out of sight.

They were safely en route to Conomi, so Arlong decided to take a bit of a break from watching over everything. He found some food and scarfed it down, idly wondering if Aria was also hungry. He thankfully hadn't seen her since they boarded the ship. He'd already snapped at her a few times to follow Kakuzu's orders of bed rest.

Arlong found her curled up on a couch in one of the crew bunkers, snoozing. It was rare to see her napping, so Arlong figured she must still be exhausted from her injury. Not that he blamed her. He wanted to relax and nap for a week, even with his superior endurance. He collapsed into the couch and tossed his arms over the back. Aria didn't even stir.

Reveling in the quiet, Arlong decided to go over what he had learned from their latest takeover. He needed to get even stronger. He wouldn't accept anything less than a complete submission next time. Rebellions shouldn't have even been allowed to start. He was frustrated that such weak, simpering humans had caused such a mess.

Especially that damn old man.

Arlong needed to figure out how to use haki, and fast. Armament would help him conquer logias like Aria and Grenouille. Once they got back, Aria could show him that essay she had found on haki. With luck, he'd be able to glean some useful information from it while Aria got in touch with her contacts. In the meantime he could polish up his skills with Kiribachi and maybe have Kuroobi teach him some more advanced techniques.

Without even realizing, Arlong had idly started carding through Aria's hair. She'd fallen asleep with her elbow digging into the couch's armrest, her palm cradling her cheek. A soft sigh escaped her, and Arlong froze, coming to his senses. He pulled away, only for Aria to grab his wrist and plop his hand on the top of her head.

"Feels nice. Don't stop." Her voice slurred with sleep. Arlong held his breath as he tentatively scratched her scalp, earning him a pleased hum.

Arlong scoffed and slowly relaxed. He could afford to spoil her a little bit, after her performance on Cinnabar. He waited until her breathing evened out again, and then left to check on Hachi.

Hachi was awake and in a good mood. "Nyuu, Arlong-san, how are you doing today?"

Arlong grinned and crossed his arms. "Pretty swell. You think you'll be up for partying tonight?"

Kakuzu glared at Arlong. "Don't even suggest that! He'll be sleeping in the infirmary until he's fully healed!"

Hachi wilted. "Aww, but I was looking forward to eating victory takoyaki…"

Arlong guffawed loudly. "Don't you worry, Hachi-nii, I'll make sure Shioyaki-nii makes a batch just for you."

"I want a batch, too, just for all the trouble you've caused." Kakuzu said, smiling.

"Fine, fine! Two batches of takoyaki!"

* * *

Aria never thought she would be so grateful to see Arlong Park. It felt like a year had passed since she had been here. She was eager to sleep and relax for a while before returning to her island.

She made her way inside as everyone else hefted supplies, treasures, and booze off the ship.

Aria looked up at the stairwell with a fair amount of trepidation. There was no way she was going to walk up all those stairs to get to Arlong's room. She would tear her stitches just going up the first two flights. If her head was clearer, she might be able to use her logia to bypass them entirely, but the pain medicine Kakuzu gave her was definitely a dosage made for fishmen.

Just as Aria settled for sleeping in the infirmary, Arlong strode into the stairwell. He grinned at her, though it was subdued.

"Aria-chan! I hope you're not planning on avoiding the victory party by hiding upstairs."

Aria huffed. She wished she could.

"Well, I can't hide upstairs. But there are plenty of other spots I can find, I'm sure of it." Aria said, putting a hand on her non-injured hip.

Arlong frowned, until a look of realization came over his face. "You can't go up the stairs, can you?"

"I'd say attempting to would go directly against doctor's orders." Arlong's frown deepened. Aria shrugged. "I'll just sleep in the infirmary tonight, then on the couch at home tomorrow."

"Like hell." Arlong snapped, taking Aria aback. "Knowing you, Kakuzu would find you passed out in your greenhouse."

Aria pursed her lips. She sheepishly avoided his knowing glare. "I'd try and take it easy, y'know. I don't want to make my injury _worse_."

Arlong scoffed, crossing his arms and looking at Aria like he didn't believe her in the slightest.

Aria didn't budge, meeting the sawshark with a headstrong glare of her own. They glared at each other for a few moments before Arlong shook his head in annoyance.

"Normally I'd applaud your hard-working nature, but I can't exactly spare Hachi to come check up on you every day right now."

Aria softened. She hadn't forgotten that Hachi was also injured. It was just that she hadn't expected him to be unable to visit. They had a routine. Breaking from it felt unbearable, especially after they'd been gone for so long.

"...Right. Sorry." Aria sighed.

"You're staying here until Kakuzu-nii gives you the all-clear, you understand?" Arlong said firmly, pointing a finger at the ground.

Aria's brows drew together. "But my garden-"

"Nami-chan can keep taking care of it for a while more." Arlong said. Quieter, he grumbled, "I doubt she'd mind being away from here longer, anyway."

Aria clenched her fists, but she relented. She wouldn't be able to take care of her chores at home like this. Even standing here talking to Arlong took more out of her than it ought to. The medicine Kakuzu gave her also made her tired and woozy, and she had to walk slowly to keep from getting dizzy. It irritated her, but Aria knew she needed someone to keep an eye on her.

"Okay. I'm going to go nap in the infirmary." Aria informed, walking past Arlong. "The medicine Kakuzu gave me is too strong for me to focus on anything." She stifled a yawn, a wave of exhaustion rolling over her.

Arlong growled lowly, giving Aria pause. She looked over her shoulder to find him suddenly much closer to her. Her eyes widened as he effortlessly picked her up, a startled yelp caught in her throat.

"You're going upstairs." Arlong said. His tone left no room for argument. Aria nodded, unable to make her mouth move further than gaping.

Arlong carried her steadily, his large palms on the small of her back and the crook of her knees.

Aria relaxed enough to rest her temple against his tattooed breast. Like this, she could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat. The sound was soothing, lulling her to sleep. She gripped at the hem of his unbuttoned shirt, unaware that she did.

Arlong noticed Aria had fallen asleep as he carried her upstairs. It was fortunate that she had, because Arlong doubted even a half-asleep Aria would have tolerated Roe's cat-whistle and shit eating grin as they passed him. Arlong had simply rolled his eyes and glowered, not feeling in the mood to take Roe's ribbing.

It was a relief to finally reach the top floor. After being gone from Arlong Park more than a week, Arlong was surprised just how much he missed his home.

Arlong huffed, happy. He'd really done it, hadn't he? Building a home for himself and his brethren on the surface. He wouldn't trade this for the world.

Of course, it felt more like home with Aria here.

Arlong frowned at his thoughts. It was because Aria was nakama, that was all. Arlong Park wouldn't feel the same if anyone else of his nakama weren't here, either.

Arlong gently placed the softly snoring Aria onto his bed. He felt a vague sense of deja vu as he took off her shoes and covered her with the comforter. He watched the rise and fall of her chest for a while, collecting his thoughts.

Then he went to go get very, very drunk downstairs.

* * *

The door creaked open. Grenouille didn't give it any notice. Footfalls came in a familiar pattern. Grenouille looked up from his post.

Calculating orange eyes met his.

"My, my, how the mighty have fallen once more." Grenouille's visitor crooned. "I thought you had been in a rough spot _before_. It seems you can't keep out of trouble, hmm?"

"I had found an enticing scent." Grenouille explained, hoping that would be enough to appease her.

"Enticing enough to lose entire limbs?" She asked, an undercurrent of mirthful laughter in her voice.

"Almost as enticing as yours." Grenouille licked his lips.

"Don't disgust me." His visitor sudden turned snapped at him.

Grenouille inclined his head as an apology. Saying the words wouldn't appease her, after all.

"Well, whatever. It's no concern of mine how many body pieces you lose. But tell me about these pirates."

"I believe they were called the Arlong Pirates. They were led by a shark fishman. Mostly they were after money, but they did kill. They had a single human in their entourage. She was like me." Grenouille reported.

Orange eyes took interest. "Like you? As in, she had a devil fruit? Hmm..."

Grenouille nodded. "She could turn into sound."

" _Really_ , now?" Sharp canines glinted in the candlelight. Grenouille had enough close encounters with teeth the last few days that they made him uneasy. "I guess I'll have to pay little Aria a visit then."

* * *

AN: I'll _try_ and keep my updates to every other week, but no promises! None!


	27. Hemophobia

**Chapter 27:** Hemophobia

* * *

 _Jinbe-nii,_

 _Arlong is still hellbent on building an empire in the East. We've taken over another island recently. Thankfully, there was no loss of life during this skirmish with humanity, but there was bloodshed and bad blood built between both races. Hachi in particular was injured. That sounds bad, I know, but Hachi is as resilient as ever, and he'll be back to his overly energetic self soon. He's already trying to escape from his bed._

 _I don't think I mentioned this in my last letter, but Arlong has invited a couple of humans to join our crew. It seems impossible, considering his opinions on their species, but he's insisted that their talents put them on par with a fishmen. I've observed their handiwork, and I have to agree._

 _One of them is a researcher, on leave from her island to study abroad. Arlong has urged all of us not to give any information on her out to the marines, although he hasn't told us why. I apologize for not being able to give you her name or her homeland, as you are now technically a marine and a pirate. I sincerely hope that she will be able to successfully persuade Arlong to end his crusade. It will be difficult, as she is a known hermit and doesn't seem to care much for her own species. But I hope I can nudge her towards being our nakama and convince Arlong to choose a better path._

 _Arlong cares for the Hermit's wellbeing more than any human I've seen him interact with before, so I feel like she has a better shot than anyone else. She was also injured during our recent takeover, and it was almost endearing to see Arlong fret over her._

 _I don't know how many more islands Arlong intends to take over, but I'll keep an eye on him as you requested. Arlong is still hurting from Tiger-nii's death and his time in Impel Down, but he is recovering slowly. So far he's ruling with an iron fist, but he's not being overly cruel. There is still time for him to change, and to abandon this reckless path he's chosen. As his brother, I'll try and guide him as well as I can. It's the least I can do, for you and Tiger-nii._

 _I hope your Warlord duties are not too taxing, and that our fellow brothers are prospering on Fishman Island. I'm forever grateful for your sacrifice for our branded brethren. I hope that life continues to treat you well._

 _I wish you all the best,_

 _Kakuzu_

* * *

Arlong climbed the stairs slowly, the world tilting a bit with every step. He was dragging himself to bed, though he wasn't the last one still partying. Kurayami and Borze were chugging away, and neither seemed like they were going to stop any time soon.

Arlong was surprised when he found Aria awake. He expected her to sleep until morning, or perhaps even the afternoon. With her wounds, it would be the only time he allowed her to sleep in. He had been hoping to take advantage of that. A long sleep would keep her from agitating her wound due to her inability to stay on bloody bed rest.

Aria was poking at her bandages, but she turned to the door when she heard it creak open. The floor swayed as he walked, but Arlong kept his balance despite his drunken haze.

"Back so soon?" Aria teased, though it sounded forced. If he squinted, he could make out a wince on her face. Damn, pain meds might have worn off for her.

"I jus' wanna sleep now." Arlong replied, shrugging nonchalantly as he came over to the bed. He slung his shirt over the couch without a care. Aria's brows rose. She watched him studiously as he slumped onto the mattress. "What're ya doin'?"

Aria looked taken aback, her eyes widening in surprise before she averted her eyes. Arlong couldn't fathom why. He doubted she could see much of anything in the low light. "Hmm? Oh, nothing."

Arlong wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Yer stitches come loose?"

Aria shook her head, her fingers running against her wound. "Not that I can tell. But it was bleeding again."

"Shit. Lemme look." Arlong knew from experience that it wasn't unusual for freshly stitched wounds to bleed, but now that Arlong was closer he could see that Aria had soaked her bandages.

"It's fine," Aria protested, but Arlong ignored her. He batted away her hand and leaned down close, tearing the now useless bandages off to see the injury in the practically nonexistent moonlight. With his superior fishman vision, he could make out the wound easily. Aria stiffened, her breath catching in her chest.

"Yeah, ya must've been too rough on 'em." Arlong swiped away the dribbling blood with his thumb. Aria hissed through clenched teeth. "Sorry, forgot it might hurt. Lemme get you some cloth or something."

Arlong stumbled into the bathroom with determination, and found a washcloth. He brought it back to Aria, batting her hand away when she tried to take it from him.

"S'okay, 'ria-chan, lemme help." Arlong grinned at her. Aria huffed and pouted, but didn't deter him from helping. He pressed the cloth down against her hip, holding it firmly. "Honestly, you try and do too much by yerself."

"I let others help plenty." Aria said, pursing her lips.

"What would you have done if I hadn't shown up, huh?" Arlong asked. "Would ya go and get a cloth yerself and wind up bleeding more?" Arlong huffed, just imagining the scenario.

"It's not like I can ask anyone for help when you're all getting shitfaced downstairs." Aria grumbled.

Arlong's brows drew together. Shit, he hadn't considered that. "Right. I oughta leave someone with you."

"I don't need a babysitter!" Aria protested, glowering at him in the dark. Her angry face was endearing, like she was a kitten trying to scare away a non-existent threat.

"Wasn't saying you do." Arlong said. "Ya just need help."

Aria's lips pursed again, but she didn't deny it. Silence filled the room for a while. Arlong kept the cloth pressed to Aria's wound. It seemed to be clotting again, but he wanted to be safe. Especially since if he wasn't, Aria might not be able to have children.

It was a laughable idea, Aria having children. Arlong could hardly imagine her being motherly. Aria barely had the patience for Nami, let alone a younger child. But that wasn't Arlong's choice to make. If Aria wanted, she should be able to have kids. A bunch of little brats with cotton candy hair. Maybe they'd be half-breeds, with sharp teeth and webbed hands and a serrated nose.

Arlong frowned. Maybe he hit the booze too hard.

"Are you okay?" Aria asked suddenly, jarring Arlong from his thoughts.

"I'm fine." Arlong said, a hint too fast. Aria raised a brow in disbelief. "Kuzu-nii told me 'bout the side-effects of your wound."

"Kakuzu?" Aria asked for clarification. Arlong nodded. Aria looked away and clucked her tongue in annoyance. "He knows better than that."

"Well, I ordered him to." Arlong admitted. He grinned at Aria when she turned to glower at him. "It's not like you would have told me."

"I don't like pity." Aria snapped. She crossed her arms.

"Hah? Yer not someone who I'd pity." Arlong sneered. "Besides, I'm the captain. I need to know these things. If there are consequences."

Aria accepted that answer and nodded.

"Would you be upset? If there were consequences?" Arlong asked.

Aria stared at him for a long while, before saying "I hadn't ever really wanted children, if that's what you're asking."

Arlong grunted. "Didn't think you did. Still. Yer too pretty to die an old lonely hermit."

Aria gave him a look. "You're still on that bullshit?" she huffed. "Didn't you learn after last time you insulted me like that?"

Arlong grinned. "The alcohol made me forget. Sorry." He cackled.

Aria gave a long-winded sigh.

They lapsed into silence again for a few moments, until Aria's wound had completely stopped bleeding. Arlong left to get a different rag to wipe the blood off her skin.

He stepped into the bathroom and sighed. "It's a good thing it wasn't a life-threatening wound. If Aria-chan had lost too much blood…"

Arlong's eyes widened as he came to a realization. He quickly finished up getting the wet rag and returned to Aria.

"Hey, what blood type are you?" Arlong asked as he sat down. This time he let Aria take the rag from him, watching her hands with a frown.

Aria cocked her head at the question. "I'm type F. Why?"

"That's a common enough type, I think…" Arlong muttered to himself. "I need to find out Nami's type, too…"

"Why?"

"In case either of you need a transfusion, we need human blood."

"It doesn't have to be human blood." Aria said simply, completely unaware of how stiff Arlong went. His hackles rose. She really was an inept hermit, wasn't she?! "Humans and fishmen can both use the same blood type."

"No." Arlong said, his voice angry and hateful. It caught Aria off guard, as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What? They can. There was someone on-"

"It goes against Ryugu culture to share our blood." Arlong snapped. Aria's shoulders stiffened.

"Oh. I wasn't aware."

"Now you are. Don't ever suggest such a thing again."

Aria fingers clutched the bloody rag tightly.

"But I would give my blood if it meant saving one of you."

"As if we would let you!" Arlong sneered. "None of us want your filthy human blood running through our veins!"

The second those words left his mouth, Arlong knew he had fucked up. Aria looked _hurt_ , her facade completely crumbling for a few brief moments before she put up her walls again. Arlong had once admired her ability to reassess her morality. Watching her come to terms with this, though, was like pulling teeth.

"I see." Aria said, her voice cold.

Arlong was tempted to apologize. Was tempted to say he didn't mean it, that it was just the alcohol taking off with his mouth. But it would be a lie. He did mean it. Given the choice, Arlong would rather die like his former captain than accept a human's blood. Even if that human was Aria.

Aria slid towards the edge of the bed and stood up. "Thank you for the help. I'll take care of the rest."

"Where are you going? You need to rest." Arlong reminded. He tried to keep his voice soft, but it still came out so harsh that he winced.

"To the bathroom." Aria said. "I wouldn't want to get my filthy human blood anywhere else."

Aria's words drove home how badly Arlong had hurt her. He wanted to grasp her arm, stop her. But he felt like his body was made of lead. By the time he stood, Aria had already slammed the bathroom door shut.

Arlong clenched his hands in frustration. He forced himself to walk over to the bathroom door, his hand hovering over the knob. But he couldn't make himself barge in. Not this time. Instead, Arlong slumped against the door with a low growl, his forehead resting against the wood.

Faintly, he could hear Aria talking to herself.

"Stupid, stupid." It sounded like a heartsick wail. "How could I be so _stupid_."

Arlong shook his head. Did he just ruin everything he'd worked for the last few months? Aria sniffled, and Arlong wondered if he'd hurt the hermit enough to make her cry.

A few seconds later and Arlong had his answer. Aria sounded like she was gasping for air. It hurt to hear. He wanted to make her stop. But he couldn't offer her anything more than pretty lies.

"You'll never be anything more than a lesser being to him, you dumb girl."

The words were raw and they burned him. Arlong couldn't listen any more. He forced himself to go to bed, though he couldn't do anything but lay there.

When Aria finally came to bed, she didn't curl up against him like usual. Instead she kept herself glued to the windowsill. The space between them made Arlong feel even worse.

In the morning, Arlong felt more confident in fixing his blunder. He woke up long before Aria, but didn't bother getting up. Instead he propped himself up and watched her sleep, idly playing with her curls.

Arlong wondered when he started caring about her opinion of him. Were she any other human, Arlong would gleefully laugh at her anger and tears. They wouldn't cause him the unease he felt.

Aria groaned and turned over onto her back, her face scrunched in pain. She didn't even notice him when she opened her eyes, and instead she murmured a curse and tenderly clutched her bandages.

"You need me to get you some of Kakuzu-nii's medicine?" Arlong asked.

Aria nodded. "Please," she said through gritted teeth.

"Be right back." Arlong promised, swinging out of bed. He was grateful Aria was allowing his help, though it was worrisome. Arlong found a bag of Kakuzu's pain relievers on the table, with a note from Chew. It was chiding Aria for leaving them downstairs. Arlong tossed the note in the trash with a grin on his face.

He grabbed a cup of water from the bathroom before returning to Aria. She gratefully took the pills and the water, although she only swallowed half a dose of the medicine. Arlong frowned, but he remembered how out of it the medicine had made her yesterday.

Aria greedily drank up all the water, sighing in relief when she finished. "Forgot I hadn't drank anything since we got off the ship…" Aria murmured, swiping stray drops from her cheek with the back of her hand.

She fell asleep not long after they docked, and stayed asleep almost the entire night, save that brief time she was awake and upset. She was likely hungry, Arlong realized.

"Do you want breakfast? I'll bring you something."

Aria nodded. "I'm starving."

"Stay in bed while I'm gone. I don't want you agitating your hip." Arlong ordered.

Aria pursed her lips. "I can't get into any trouble up here, and I know I'm not ready for the stairs."

"Stay in bed." Arlong repeated, digging through his dresser. He tossed on a green shirt with white leaf patterns. He hadn't bothered to take off his pants before bed.

Aria made an annoyed noise. "At least bring me a book or something!"

Arlong grabbed a random book off his shelf and tossed it at her feet. Aria frowned at it, but still picked it up and started reading.

Arlong knew humans were simple creatures. Koala had always been cheered up by new clothes, good food, or a simple game with Hachi. Nami was even easier to please. She preferred hard cash than simple material goods. It would only be a matter of time before Aria forgave Arlong for his blunder last night.

Arlong kept that in mind as he entered the mess hall. Aria likely wouldn't forgive him with just a little bit of food. Hell, Arlong hadn't paid enough attention to know what she liked. Aria grew her own vegetables, right? She would be fine with that. He tossed random cooked vegetables on the plate for her, and as an afterthought he grabbed her several fish filets. Arlong vaguely remembered her liking fish, and she needed the protein to recover.

Arlong headed back upstairs, not worrying about eating himself. He never liked eating much after a night of drinking. Besides, there was much to do today.

After Arlong had killed that wretchedly racist human fucker, Aria had looked shell-shocked for a while. But Arlong managed to cheer her up by taking her to that aromatherapy shop. While Aria wouldn't be able to go shopping, they still had the scents she picked out. A nice bath would make Aria more relaxed. Arlong could find that manual on haki, and Aria could start researching it comfortably from the tub.

It was a fool-proof plan.

Arlong was pleased to see Aria right where he left her. She didn't look up from her book, too engrossed in reading.

"Aria-chan, I've brought breakfast." Arlong announced, setting the food on the table. That got her attention. Aria dogeared her place and left the book on his pillow. She slowly made her way over to the table. Arlong pulled out the chair for her, prompting Aria to raise a brow. "What? I know how to treat a lady."

Aria huffed as she sat down, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "You most certainly do not. But thank you for getting me breakfast." She eyed the plate with a bit of hesitation. Perhaps Arlong had over done the portions? She didn't eat as much as a fishman, but he had only gotten her the one plate.

Arlong waved off her gratitude. "You need to be taking it easy for a while."

"Is this suppose to last me all day?" Aria murmured. Still, she dug in. She hummed as she enjoyed a bite of the fish fillet.

He had gotten her too much, then. Arlong resisted the urge to scowl. Humans were so scrawny and had such poor appetites!

"Eat what you can. I'll draw a bath for you and then get hunt for that haki essay you need."

Surprise flitted over Aria's face. "You're being surprisingly thoughtful."

Arlong grinned. He'd been waiting for Aria to notice. "You're my nakama, Aria-chan. Of course I'm going to take care of you."

Aria was a hermit. Arlong had slowly been breaking down her walls, with the help of his crew. Cinnabar had made their bond stronger. Arlong knew Aria wanted to be one of them. That's why his comment last night had hurt her so much. Validating that they were nakama was all Arlong needed to do to make Aria happy with him again. He waited for her eyes to soften, and her to look up at him with trust.

Instead, the hermit turned up her nose at him. "You honestly think that line is going to work on me after last night? Fuck off with that bullshit." She waved the back of her hand at him, her eyes half-lidded and her mouth curled into a sneer.

Arlong was so surprised he took a step back.

"Uhg." Aria stood up, rolling her eyes. "My appetite is gone now. I'm going to take a bath. Don't bother me until you have that essay for me."

Arlong gaped as she stomped by him, completely taken aback. Then his pride took over. He snatched Aria's wrist and spun her around.

"I think you've mistaken your place here, woman." Arlong growled. He loomed over Aria, but she just glared up at him with raised hackles. Arlong squeezed tighter until her glare was replaced with a wince. "I'm the captain here. I let you get away with a lot of shit, but you _will_ treat me with respect."

"Fine, _captain_." The words were gritted out, and Aria forced a saccharine smile. "May I pretty please go take a bath?"

Arlong huffed and let go of her. Aria clutched her wrist, rubbing at the skin that was already bruising. She glowered at it. Then she turned around and fled into the bathroom, not giving Arlong a second glance.

After a few calming breaths, Arlong realized he had made the situation infinitely worse. He swore, and was halfway tempted to throw something at the wall. Instead he ran a hand through his hair and growled at his carelessness. Aria wasn't someone who he could intimidate into getting his way.

He needed a new plan. Arlong shoved his balled fists into his pockets and stomped down the stairs. One would come as he found Aria's research.

But by the time he found it, he hadn't come up with anything. He left the research near Aria's discarded breakfast and went about his plans for the day in a sour mood.

* * *

Each one of the Arlong Officers had their strengths and weaknesses. Hachi was notorious for getting himself into trouble, but he had a friendly charisma that rivaled their old captain's. Kuroobi was an incredible martial artist, but he was so stern and focused that many crew mates still found him intimidating, even after all this time. And their captain, well...Some things didn't need to be elaborated.

Chew wasn't unaware that he had his own flaws. He knew he could be petty and cruel when the mood struck him. And sometimes he was just too damn empathetic. Those two flaws were fine on their own, Chew supposed, but somehow they had wormed themselves together to create this current situation.

Chew had returned to Cinnabar early in the morning to oversee the humans' progress in Vesteria. They were still organizing their citizens into something useful, but they were making an effort. Chew was pleased, and left them alone as he went on to his next duty.

Keeping an eye on Grenouille.

The perfumer was being held in his shack in the middle of the woods, far away from prying eyes and distractions. He was given several humans as guards, who Arlong had waived taxes from so long as Grenouille was kept under tight watch. The perfumer was kept nearly naked, his arms and legs both bound with Sea Stone. He wasn't allowed to even work with his perfumes, instead having to instruct his guards to make the new brands. Of course, considering he was now missing a hand and a leg, he needed the help.

Despite being given another babysitting duty, Chew was actually rather pleased. After what he had done to Hachi, Grenouille wasn't going to receive any kindness. Chew could take out his frustrations on the old man as much as he wanted. Just as long as he didn't kick the bucket.

And boy, was Chew looking forward to that. Or he was until he spied two familiar women coming out of a food stall as he passed through Vienna.

What were their names again? Sari and Aba? No, that didn't sound right…

Their encounter had been brief, but Chew didn't forget the hatred in the teenager's voice. Grenouille had hurt her, badly. Chew knew how it felt to lose family members due to a murderer. And he knew how much relief it would have brought him if he had been able to find his parents' murderer and get justice.

Chew wasn't a bleeding heart like Hachi, but he wasn't totally walled off to humans like Kuroobi. He didn't even find any beneficial reason to what he did, like Arlong would have. But he still approached the two teenage women.

"Hey, you two. I remember you, chuu."

They froze. The braver of the two stepped in front of her friend, ready to be their shield once again. "Yes? What do you need?"

"First, your names. I can't remember them."

The two shared a glance.

"I'm Ada." Introduced the sheepish brunette teen.

"I'm Kari." Introduced the braver blonde teen.

"No promises that I'll remember them after today. I'm Chew, by the way."

"That's fair. So what else do you need?" Kari asked. She crossed her arms. She was obviously still suspicious of him. Chew didn't really care, he was used to humans distrusting him.

"I just thought you'd be happy to know we caught Grenouille." Chew announced, putting his hands in his pockets and smirking.

Kari's jaw dropped. "What, really? You aren't pulling my leg, are you?"

"No. He was a pain in the ass, so we're keeping him on a short leash." Chew said. The relief on Kari's face was evident. "He's not gonna be able to hurt anyone else."

"Thank god…" Kari murmured. "I've hated him for so long for what he did. And he managed to escape a free man, even after all the harm he caused…"

Even though they hadn't meant to be anyone's heroes, Chew was still glad he was able to help someone. But he wasn't done.

"Do you want to punish him?" Chew asked.

Ada's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" The concept had never occurred to her. But Kari must have thought about it a lot, because her fists tightened and her eyes hardened.

"Yeah. I do."

"Kari?!" Ada gasped.

"Listen. He killed my sister." Kari swallowed, overcome with emotion. "There hasn't been a single day that I haven't thought of making that bastard pay for what he did."

"Then let's go, chuu."

That was another difference between Chew and Hachi. Chew knew that Hachi would've just been satisfied telling Kari they had taken away Grenouille. But Chew was petty. He knew the best medicine was personal justice.

So Chew led Kari into the woods. Ada refused to come, too horrified by the concept.

He led her to the cabin, down the hatch and into Grenouille's lab. Chew let Kari see her personal monster, chained to his workstation.

Kari observed the lab with cold silence. Her shoulders were tense and her stance was tight. Her lip curled in distaste as she noticed the hair, the clothes, the vats, and the man sitting before her. Grenouille didn't even pay her any mind, too focused on what he was doing.

"Hey." Grenouille didn't move.

" _Hey_." Still no reaction.

Kari's face lit up with fury, and Chew grinned as he watched her grab the old man by the shoulder and spin him around. "I'm talking to you!"

"I heard." Grenouille said. This only served to make Kari angrier.

"Then answer!" Kari snapped. "You monster!"

Grenouille tilted his head, but otherwise showed no reaction. Kari trembled, though Chew couldn't tell if it was from anger, frustration, or sadness.

"You killed her…" Kari snarled. "You killed my only sister…!"

"Ah. I apologize." Grenouille said, like he was discussing the weather. Kari's breath hitched. Then she slapped him, the sound echoing through the lab.

"That won't bring her back!" Kari howled. "Nothing you do will ever bring her back!"

"I know." Grenouille said, coughing. "She is no more."

"You took her from me!" Kari screeched, shaking Grenouille with all her might. "You...you ought to be _punished_!"

She dropped Grenouille, and he fell to the stone floor with a thump. Grenouille coughed harder, wheezing as he curled into a ball.

Then all Kari did was watch. Slowly, her anger bled out. Chew watched her posture change minutely, the tension in her shoulders evaporating as the seconds passed.

"You're pathetic." Kari said, quietly. "Just a sad old man, not even capable of becoming more human."

"Is that all?" Chew asked, his brows knitting together in confusion. He had expected her to be more violent. All the humans that had come down to Fishman Island wouldn't hesitate to bruise and bloody even the most pitiful of opponent. They were ruthless. Shouldn't this human teenager be the same?

"...Yeah. I don't think this really helped me." Kari straightened up, no longer looming over Grenouille. "Sorry if this wasn't what you were hoping for."

What _had_ Chew been hoping for? Did he hope that Kari would feel the justice he had never been able to attain? Or was he just seeing the differences between them? Chew wasn't sure now.

"It's fine, chuu. Don't worry about it."

"...I think I'm going to go home now." Suddenly, Kari seemed so small. Like Nami, when Arlong had first brought her to the compound. A pit formed in Chew's stomach.

"Okay. Do you need someone to take you back?"

"No. I'll manage on my own. Thank you." Chew nodded, but Kari was too lost in her own thoughts to notice. She started walking towards the entrance, and it wasn't long before she disappeared.

Grenouille, still laying on the ground in a ball, started laughing.

Chew scoffed. "What's so funny, old man?"

"She's here."

Chew didn't understand what that meant. "Huh?"

Suddenly there was a scream from upstairs.

" _She's here_."

Chew didn't even bother asking Grenouille to explain his cryptic comment. Instead, he booked it down the tunnel. When he pulled himself up, he saw Kari on the floor in a ball. She was crying and clutching her obviously broken arm.

"Hello there, Mr. Pirate." Cooed someone from behind Chew. He whirled around and was met with a human, her orange eyes glinting in the sunset peaking through the windows.

"Who the hell are you?!" Chew asked, shifting into a fighting stance.

The new human glowered at him. "I'm asking the questions here." She brandished her canines, and Chew's eyes widened as he noticed the scalpel in her left hand. "Are you part of the Arlong Pirates?"

"Yeah, I'm an officer, chuu." Chew boasted, hoping it would make the human nervous.

"Ohhhh? It looks like I got lucky." She giggled. "Take me to your boss, pretty please."

"Why should I?!" Chew snapped. "I won't tolerate you hurting the humans under Arlong-san's protection, chuu! Let alone bossing me around!"

The woman scoffed. "Oh, please. All she needs is a cast and she'll be right as rain."

Chew crossed his arms. "Prove it. Heal her, and I'll consider taking you to Arlong-san."

"Hmpf. Very well."

Chew watched cautiously as the stranger worked. Kari managed to sit up, but she glared angrily at both the woman and Chew.

Kari winced as the older human woman got near. She wailed loudly as the bone was set, but the stranger wasn't bothered at all. The stranger grabbed a cotton shirt out of Grenouille's dresser and wrapped it around Kari's arm. Then she wrapped bandages around the cotton shirt, making sure that they were secure before wetting them.

"The cast will be dry soon enough. Don't do anything reckless. Now leave."

Kari nodded, tears in her eyes, and ran out of the shack.

"I've met your condition." The orange-eyed stranger said as she stood. "Now take me to Arlong."

"Hold up. One last question to see if you're worth the effort, chuu. Why do you wish to meet with him?" Chew asked.

The woman tilted her head. "You hurt my coworker, you know. I'll let that slide for now. Just as long as I get the chance to see if he was telling the truth about one of your crewmates."

"Why not just ask me?" Chew retorted.

"I'm more of a 'see to believe' sort of person." She replied, a small mirthless smile on her lips.

Chew frowned and considered it. This woman seemed dangerous. Chew didn't doubt that she would stab him in the back if it suited her. But she called Grenouille her coworker. Finding out the nature of their relationship might be worth the effort. Perhaps they might not even need the old man after all.

"...Fine. I'll take you, chuu."

* * *

AN: Chew remains the hardest character for me to write. Thankfully I really wanted to write this scene where he tries to get catharsis from Kari beating up Grenouille. Unfortunately, it doesn't go as planned...


	28. Rival

**Chapter 28:** Rival

* * *

It had only been a week and a half since Arlong had last set foot on Aria's island, but Arlong could tell that the atmosphere had changed. Nami had warned him that the rainy season was not far off. At the time, it had seemed not that important. But the air was already thick and humid, despite the clear skies.

A few more weeks and there would be a deluge of rain.

Arlong stepped into the clearing and was surprised to see Nami sitting on the wooden stairs, munching as she ate out of a small bowl. Her eyes widened when she spotted him, her back going stiff, but she stayed rooted to her spot.

Arlong grinned. Nami had a spine, unlike most sniveling humans. After dealing with all the pitiful, frightful weaklings on Cinnabar, it was almost a welcome relief to have a human that wouldn't cower. Almost.

"Yo, Nami-chan! You been holding down the fort well in Aria-chan's absence?" Arlong greeted. He ruffled her hair, laughing at Nami's annoyed noise.

"Yeah, everything has been going fine." Nami said. She looked past him, frowning slightly. "Where's Aria-chan?"

Arlong grimaced and sat down next to Nami. "She's back at the compound. She got wounded during the raid and is taking some time to recover."

Nami gasped. "Really?! Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine." Arlong said. "Just needs a week to rest and not over-exert herself."

Nami frowned. "So I have to stay here longer?" Arlong was grateful Nami was quick to put two and two together. "I don't mind, but…I wanted to see Nojiko-nee..." She pouted and pushed around a cucumber with her fork in such forced sadness that Arlong nearly scoffed.

Arlong grinned, knowing what Nami was after. "Be a good girl and stay here for another week. I'll give you a day off to go see your sister as a reward."

Nami beamed at the promise. "Really? Yes!"

"You need to work on your manipulation more." Arlong said. "If you're too obvious like that, you won't be able to fool anyone."

Nami rolled her eyes. "Like I want to take advice on that from _you_ …"

Arlong barked out a laugh and relaxed against the stairs, propping his elbows on the deck. He was glad Nami took everything so well. He didn't want to deal with another pissy human. Aria was still mad at him, barely giving Arlong any attention and being snappy when she did.

Why couldn't Aria get over what he had said? Normally Aria would just get him back with a swift insult or petty revenge, but she was genuinely holding a grudge against him now.

Surely she didn't take what he said about her blood being filthy seriously. She knew him well enough to brush off his hatred of her kind, didn't she? Arlong had told her she was valuable to him. More valuable than money. And he had even told her they were nakama! That was usually enough to get Aria to soften up!

"What are you growling about?" Nami asked. She looked like a petulant child, frowning at him with her cheek in her palm.

Arlong hadn't been aware he was growling. He scoffed and glowered out into the forest. "Nothing important. Aria-chan is just being difficult again."

"Really? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Arlong snapped, mildly insulted that Nami assumed it was an error on his part. Well, it was. But it shouldn't be this major! "I insulted her a bit, but she's use to that! She should be over it by now!"

Nami looked skeptical. "You insulted her a bit? Like how? Your usual human hatred nonsense?"

Arlong huffed and nodded.

Nami hummed and set her bowl aside so that she could put her face in both palms. "Have you tried saying sorry?"

"No, because I wasn't wrong."

Nami gave him a dry look. "No, _of course not_. But you hurt her feelings. Or more likely, her pride, since she doesn't seem to be that much of a feely person."

Arlong frowned. Aria was very much a feely person. He'd seen her scared, sad, anxious, angry, happy...She was a maelstrom of emotion. Arlong froze as he realized that he was probably the only one to see her be emotional. She never let her walls down around anyone else, not even Nami. She trusted him enough to lower her harsh facade of being a haughty, selfish hermit.

" _But I would give my blood if it meant saving one of you_ ," she had said, so softly and full of truth.

And he had called her filthy.

Arlong's stomach dropped like a rock, and suddenly he felt even more miserable due to his revelation.

Arlong shook his head. He had told her it went against his culture! That's all he ought to need to say! But she had to go and push the topic.

"This is painful to watch." Nami sighed. Arlong didn't pay attention to her as she stood and went inside.

Instead he thought back to how Aria had been crying in the bathroom. He hated that memory. But it kept playing on loop in his head, more and more frequently as he tried to absolve himself of blame.

Something landed beside him with a heavy thunk. Arlong looked to see a journal, with Aria's handwriting titling it.

"I probably shouldn't show you this, since Aria-chan didn't want me touching her stuff, but…" Nami sighed. "Whatever. I don't want you hurting her feelings more. This is about her country."

Arlong picked up the journal. He'd never seen it before, not even when he was snooping through Aria's things. "Where did you find this?"

The binding was strange, the cover made out of a hide Arlong didn't recognize. Flipping it open, Arlong saw several of Aria's terrible drawings beside her writing.

"I'm not telling." Nami said, sticking out her tongue like a petulant child. "I'm going to get back to work."

"Good." Arlong said idly as he flipped through the pages. "You do that…"

The journal wasn't a dairy, but it divulged a lot of information about Aqua Atlus. Several species of Fioran Terns were doodled in a section about animal biology. The rarity of different types of wood was discussed. The cultural significance of different animal furs.

Arlong sucked in his breath when he came upon a section about donating blood.

 _In the beginning of Aqua Atlus's history, before they reached their home island, they were led by a Queen named Alisia Heart. She was enthralled by science and history, but her people were persecuted by the World Government for their refusal to give up their knowledge of the Void Century._

 _The Queen of Hearts decided they could no longer live on their home island after a particularly brutal attack. She consumed the ChiChi fruit to increase her own prowess in battle, and declared that they must leave their homeland._

 _However, it was not any easy task to uproot an entire civilization, and they were burdened by a gift that the World Government could not be allowed to destroy. The Queen of Hearts defended her people on the seas for decades before they were all safely settled._

 _In that timeframe, to bolster their Queen's abilities in battle, blood was given freely. The ChiChi fruit used the blood of the consumer, and tough battles were frequent. It became more common than not for blood to be shared after a battle, both given to the Queen and dispersed amongst the people._

 _That period of time was deeply instilled in our culture. Even now, blood is given freely to even outsiders. The Celebration of the Heart reminds us of our history every winter, telling us of our Queen who believed in both the future and the importance of the past. The celebration encourages us to look towards the future with our scientific progress, and praises life through the blood that runs through all of our veins._

 _Personally, I don't think I'd ever meet someone as inspiring as the Queen of Hearts. Queen Grishina is incredible, of course, but...I don't think a situation would ever occur where I would need to give up my blood. There are so many others who would step forward first._

Arlong slumped against the stairs. Aria just had to be so damned complicated, didn't she? She had found a reason to give up her blood through his crew. But he wouldn't allow it.

He couldn't.

Not after Fisher Tiger.

He rose to his feet and readjusted his felt hat. He stepped into the house, finding Nami sitting at the dining room table drawing a map.

"You're fine with staying here for a bit longer, then?" He approached her, appreciating the girl's ability to draw such fine, precise lines.

Nami hummed and nodded, never looking up from her work. Not that Arlong minded. Her focus and dedication to her work were important.

"Good. I'll come for you when Aria-chan can come home."

"Take your time with that." Nami murmured. Arlong scoffed and ruffled her hair. Nami whined and glowered up at him weakly.

"I'm gonna take this with me. Don't let Aria-chan find out you were sneaking around where you shouldn't have, cat thief."

"I won't." Nami said. "Don't piss her off by letting her find that, though."

Arlong grimaced. "Yeah, yeah. I don't want to get in more hot water with her…Bye, brat."

Arlong caught her sticking her tongue out at him through the window reflection, and he snickered. Nami _was_ a brat, but she was fun to mess with.

Now that his chores were done for the day, Arlong decided it was time to start training after a quick dinner. His mind would work better after a workout, after all.

* * *

Chew had learned a lot from being around Kuroobi for most of his life, and one of the most valuable things was being suspicious of humans despite their pretty looks.

The woman he met on Cinnabar was far too dangerous to let his guard down around, even if she was just a human. Something about her made Chew uneasy.

Chew had asked her why she had broken Kari's arm as they rode to Conomi. The way she smiled coldly reminded Chew of how Arlong would smile right before he started a fight.

He would be thankful to be rid of her. Chew spent the majority of their trip keeping her in his peripheral, his laxness feigned.

"We're here." Chew announced as he docked the small fishing boat amongst the others that Arlong kept for their business use.

"Joy." The woman said, giving off that creepy smile of hers. "Will it take much longer to meet your Captain?"

Chew shrugged. "Depends on him. He's a busy guy."

The woman nodded, though Chew didn't miss the flicker of annoyance in her orange eyes.

Chew tossed the rope ladder over the side of the boat. By the time he had descended, Rinka and Roe were approaching him.

"Hey, boss-man! We didn't expect you back for another few days!" Roe greeted, before he noticed the woman on the boat. He frowned, perplexed. "What's with the human?"

"She took offense to our action on Cinnabar, I think." Chew said with a casual grin. "So she wants to speak to Arlong-san."

Roe threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, did she, now? I'm not sure what she thinks that'll accomplish. An early grave, maybe?"

Rinka's lips twitched up into an amused smirk.

Chew turned at the sound of the woman humming as she climbed down the ladder. The tune sounded _familiar_ but he couldn't place where he'd heard it. He scowled, a nagging thought that the sound was important.

That nagging feel was completely blown aside when she reached the wooden planks of the dock and caught sight of Rinka.

Chew blinked in surprise when the woman blew right past him _and_ Roe. Suddenly she was grasping Rinka's free hand with both of her own.

Rinka gaped openly at the woman, her hand clenching her trident tighter.

"Hello, pretty! My name is Farren Laurels. I was coming to see your boss, but I heard he might be occupied tonight. Are you free to talk about your unique coloration?" The woman spoke, a sauve undertone to her voice.

Even if Rinka wasn't mostly mute, Chew bet she still would've been speechless. For all of the time Chew had known Rinka, he'd never seen a flirtatious woman beat her to the punch.

Roe busted out laughing. "Are you asking Rinka-chan out on a _date_?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? It's not often I come across such a pretty fishwoman." Farren said, never breaking eye contact with Rinka, the smile she gave almost _warm_.

"I...I wouldn't be opposed." Rinka said, her voice barely above a whisper. Farren's eyes widened at the sound of Rinka's rough voice. Chew cringed, and decided to intervene.

Chew cleared his throat. "Arlong-san isn't the only one who is busy, chuu. I have more important things to be doing than watching you harass our night watch. We're going to Arlong Park, where you will wait for an audience with our Captain."

Farren looked positively murderous for a split second, but she covered it well. Reluctantly, she withdrew her hands from Rinka's. "Very well. I will have to postpone our chat, my dear."

Rinka frowned. "Not for long, I hope."

Farren smiled at her.

Chew cleared his throat again.

"Let's _go_." Chew urged. He did _not_ want to see this damn human messing with Rinka like this.

* * *

Working upstairs was different than working in her makeshift lab. It was quiet and peaceful, with no sounds of Dresden and Gajeel's workshop bleeding through the walls. But it was lonelier than the lab on her island. There was no scent of salt to keep her focused.

Aria's hands itched to be doing experiments. She had completed her letters to her contacts before they had even left for Cinnabar. All she needed now was for them to be sent out. After reading through the essay on Haki several times, she had several hypothesis to test.

First, Observation Haki was an extension of someone's ability to detect frequencies and how those frequencies affected the space around them.

This was opposed by Observation Haki allowing the user to "see into the future," as the essay had so bluntly put it.

Second, Armament Haki was an extension of someone's ability to control the frequencies their body emitted, to the point that they could create a solid wall.

This was supported by Aria's _Aural Disperse_ shield, that emitted frequencies at such a high rate that they dissolved anything it came in contact with.

This was _also_ supported by the frequencies that Sea Stone gave off. Sea Stone, even in an inert state, gave off such erratic and harsh frequencies that not even Aria's abilities could hope to deflect them. If it could be replicated, that would explain why Armament Haki could both defend and attack logia users.

Aria was halfway tempted to ask Arlong to let her experiment with Grenouille, just to formally test what frequencies were disruptive to another logia. But the thought of seeing Grenouille still filled her with an unease that swiftly turned to defensive anger. She scratched that idea off the list.

The final Haki, Conqueror's, would be the most difficult to test. Aria's initial hypothesis was that a person gave off such rapid and aggressive high-frequency decibels that allowed the user to 'conquer' others with their might. But this ability wasn't something someone could learn, apparently. Only a few people could tap into this power.

Aria knew that she would be best off testing Observation Haki first. But she needed to be in fighting shape for that to happen, since Observation was easier to notice when in danger.

Her hip twinged in mild pain. Aria huffed. She was getting sick of all this waiting around. She was _bored_.

As if the world was waiting for her to lament her situation, the door opened.

Aria grimaced. She wasn't bored enough to deal with _this_. Arlong merely gave her a half-hearted wave as he sat across from her at the table, his mouth preoccupied with his nearly finished dinner.

Arlong raised a brow at her own plate from that morning. She had snacked on it for most of the day, but considering the portions Arlong had gotten her, there was no way Aria was going to be able to finish it all.

She wasn't going to be the one to tell him that, though. Not when he was absolutely destroying his own gigantic portions of food. Instead, she focused her attention back to the papers in front of her, trying to outline more of her future experiments with Haki.

For once, Arlong seemed content to let her be silent.

After he finished his food he washed up and then began stretching on the mats. Aria watched Arlong out of the corner of her eye. His long legs were on display as he crouched down into a lunging hip position. It didn't help that the pose really showed off Arlong's butt, and Aria forcibly looked down at her papers and clenched her pen.

Honestly! She needed to _focus_.

That was exceedingly hard to do as Arlong grunted through different stretches. Part of Aria was curious, because she had never witnessed Arlong or Kuroobi do stretches before their training. She had always caught them mid-workout, so when she tried to train on her own she had been at a loss on where to start.

Arlong himself seemed frustrated at the slow pace of the stretches. But Aria was more than impressed at the physical prowess Arlong had. More than once she had to tear herself away from gaping. Thankfully, Arlong was too preoccupied to notice.

It was so, so frustrating. Aria could tell she was losing more and more of her defenses to him. But she didn't want to! Not when he would consider her _filthy_.

Aria hated that word. She thought she had built up enough tolerance to it. But apparently not.

She wanted to run away and hide. Go back to her island. Ignore her captain for a week until she had brought her defenses back up.

Her hip twinged, as if telling her no.

Arlong switched to katas, which Aria recognized from Kuroobi's fishman karate. This seemed strange for Arlong, who fought in a berserker's style.

"I didn't know you practiced that." Aria said, voicing her confusion.

"I normally don't," Arlong grunted between form changes. "But I need to be stronger. Need to add to my range of moves."

Aria propped her chin on the back of her palm. "Not that I think it's a bad idea, but it seems a bit slow for you."

Arlong gave a sharp bark of a laugh. "You got that right. That's part of why I don't normally focus on this boring shit."

"Then why are you doing it?" Aria mused aloud.

"Rinka-chan was able to take down Grenouille after he escaped. But not after Hachi-nii was hurt."

Aria frowned at the reminder. She really wished she could go down and visit Hachi. Perhaps in a day or two she'd be able to focus enough to go downstairs.

"What sort of Captain lets his nakama get injured so badly?" Arlong grumbled to himself. "Should've known better than to send Hachi after him. Kuroobi would've been a better choice."

Aria's brows raised. Arlong was genuinely frustrated with himself, even though there was probably nothing he could have done to change the outcome. No one expected Grenouille to be so crafty or dangerous.

"It's surprising that you want to be stronger to protect your nakama…" Aria said, crossing her arms.

Arlong scoffed. "Oh yeah? Why's that? _Enlighten me_."

Aria shrugged. "I figured you'd be more bent out of shape that you had such troubles with a _human_ than with your crew being injured."

Arlong growled. "Oh, I'm plenty bent out of shape about that." He punctuated his words with several much more aggressive form changes. "But I'd rather _die_ than see one of my brothers laid out like that."

The intensity of his words struck Aria. She didn't doubt he had seen nakama gravely injured before, not with how angry it made him. She remembered her own feelings of uselessness when she saw Hachi in his hospital bed, Kakuzu knitting him back together. It was a terrible feeling, one she hated. How many times had Arlong seen his friends like that? How many times had he felt so _useless_?

No wonder he wanted to be stronger.

Aria clenched her fists.

She wanted to be stronger, too. She wanted to protect Hachi, and everyone else she was friends with. She didn't want to see anyone else like that.

It reminded her too much of her family.

"When I'm healed...I want to get stronger, too." Aria said, firmly. Arlong paused mid-form, his eyes meeting hers.

"Convince Kuroobi-nii to train you."

Aria scowled. That would be next to impossible to do. But he was a good teacher, Aria knew. "I'll try my best."

Arlong resumed his kata. "Good. Until then, try and figure out how the hell we're supposed to learn haki."

Aria nodded, even though Arlong wasn't looking at her anymore. She wanted to figure out Observation Haki as quickly as possible. At the very least she could try. An attempt to feel the world around her as described in the text wouldn't drain her too much.

Aria slowly made her way over to the bed, her hip throbbing with every step. She crossed her legs as she sat in the middle of the bed, and closed her eyes. With effort, she blocked out the sounds of Arlong grunting as he began training with his Kiribachi.

Then she tried to feel outside the room.

There were times when Aria could sense others from far away. She remembered Kuroobi coming to her island, and being able to sense his distrust towards her before she ever saw him. Before, she had attributed that to her devil fruit. Now? Aria wondered if she had been latently tapping into Observation Haki.

For a long while, Aria couldn't feel anything. It was frustrating. But Aria persisted.

Then suddenly she could feel someone.

"Oh, _no_." Aria thought she had whispered the words, but she could feel Arlong's broad hand on her shoulder. He shook her, as if he thought she was asleep.

"What is it?" Arlong asked. Aria opened her eyes, meeting his with worry.

"Farren is coming to see you."

Confusion filled Arlong's eyes. Aria could tell he had a million questions. But he settled on, "are they a threat?"

"Maybe."

Arlong's eyes hardened and he straightened up. Now that he was no longer looming over her, Aria could see that he had been training hard while she meditated, his sweat-slick skin causing his hair to stick to his thick neck. He looked tired, but there was determination in his posture.

"Will they hurt you?" Arlong asked, his eyes on her hip. "Or should you come with me?"

Aria licked her lips. A stupid, foolish part of her gleefully wanted Arlong to carry her. But Farren was hard to get a read on. Aria didn't know what the other woman would do with the knowledge that Aria was apart of the Arlong Pirates.

Aria's curiosity got the better of her. Why was Farren here?

"I'll come with you." Arlong nodded, and effortlessly picked her up from the bed. Aria fought the flush on her cheeks as he carried her with a single broad arm tucked around her back and under her legs. Honestly! Aria needed to heal quick, if only so pride-crushing situations like this wouldn't happen again.

They met Chew on the third floor. "Ah, Arlong-san, I was just about to come get you."

Arlong raised a brow. "Back so soon, Chew-nii?"

Chew nodded, pursing his lips. He eyed Aria, but chose to ignore the fact that Arlong was carrying her. "There was a human woman who claimed to be one of Grenouille's coworkers. She wants to meet with you, Arlong-san."

Aria's jaw dropped. Farren was working with Grenouille? The thought made her blood boil. Her lips curled into a sneer.

"Very well. Bring her here. We will see what she wants." Arlong ordered. Chew nodded and disappeared downstairs.

Arlong carried Aria into the dining area, setting her down on a chair before claiming a seat for himself. He stretched out, lounging so that his broad form was impressive and intimidating. The posture suited him, and the cocky smirk on his face reminded Aria that no matter what happened in the next few moments that Arlong would handle it.

She was grateful. The thought of meeting with someone from her homeland made her stomach twist into knots and her palms sweat. She kept careful notice of her breathing, keeping it steady and deep. Arlong noticed, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, but he didn't probe her.

Soon, Aria could hear Chew's footsteps. He pushed open the dining room door, holding it open for their guest. His eyes watched them sharply, his mouth pursed in distaste.

Aria inhaled sharply as they walked in.

Farren Laurels had changed since Aria had seen her three years ago. She had foregone her deep burgundy hair dye, letting her snow white roots grow out. Now the ends of her hair were burgundy, reaching down towards her hips, but above her shoulders was pure white. Her stocky frame was still covered by her white lab coat, and underneath it was a black corset and dark jeans, but now they were frayed and torn at the edges. Her leather boots had been pristine before, but now they were covered in scuffs and scrapes. Even her skin had changed, looking much more ashen compared to the healthy dark skin she had before. But her face was the same, even after all these years. She had a soft curve to her cheeks, offset by the sharp canines that always poked through her smirk and those orange eyes were still full of hunger and mischief.

"Good evening, Captain of the Arlong Pirates." Farren said, giving a slight bow. "My name is Farren Laurels."

"Ohohoho, a human with _manners_. How rare." Arlong grinned. "You sought an audience with me. Why?"

Farren's eyes flickered to Aria, and her smile took a different tone. "My coworker informed me that you had someone _like him_ on your crew. I came to see if he was telling the truth. I have to say, I didn't expect you to be _playing pirate_ , Aria."

Chew finally took his eyes off Farren, but only so he could stare at Aria in surprise and then distrust. Aria scowled. Farren was going to make things difficult between her and Chew, wasn't she?

"Oh? You know the hermit?" Arlong said, feigning ignorance. "Tell me more."

Farren hummed, debating. Aria knew Farren wouldn't go into this half-cocked and start spilling things she didn't need to. But that didn't make her any less dangerous. She had known Farren long enough that there was far too much information to give Arlong.

"Well, let's just call her my rival." Farren said, putting a hand on her hip. Aria blinked, not expecting that at all.

"Really?" Aria scoffed. "I didn't even go into biology, and you're still claiming I'm your rival?"

"Of course. Who do you expect me to have a rivalry with? _Jenna_?" Farren giggled. "Besides, you were always so lonely when we were back home. It's hard not to take pity on you, you poor thing."

"Pity?!" Aria sneered. "You _have_ to be joking."

Farren burst out laughing. "Oh, you'll have to forgive me, Captain. Aria's just so rough around the edges still! I would have thought having friends would soften you up just a smidge!"

"No, I quite understand. Aria-chan hasn't been with us for long. We're still...working on her." Arlong said, a mocking smirk on his face. Aria felt her face heat up, and she ground her teeth.

"Still, such a risky move for cautious little Aria!" Farren said. "You _will_ have to tell me how you acquired her. She was so stubborn about living alone. I was placed before her, so I didn't even know which island she had gone to."

"Yeah, I did that on purpose. Who knows when you would have shown up, otherwise." Aria grumbled. "Always trying to worm information out of me about my experiments."

Farren shrugged. "How else am I supposed to keep an eye on my lonely little rival?"

Aria was about to snap a retort at Farren, but Arlong held up a hand to stop her.

"As entertaining as it is to watch you rile Aria-chan up, was she the only reason you came to me?" Arlong asked.

"Well, I had expected that to be more difficult, if we're being honest." Farren said, brandishing her canines. "I'm a bit disappointed that it wrapped up so quickly, without a single bit of blood spilt."

Aria tensed as Farren reached into one of her deep pockets and pulled out a scalpel. What was she doing?! Chew, who had been standing by the door, blocked the exit with his body and moved into a fighting stance.

Arlong threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, you were expecting a fight, were you?"

"Naturally. You're pirates, after all." Farren tilted her head, smiling mercilessly. "And you hurt my coworker quite badly, you know. Now how am I supposed to get corpses for my experiment?"

" _What_?" Aria's jaw dropped.

"So I'd appreciate it if you could make some reparations, unless you _do_ want a fight." Farren pointed her scalpel at Arlong.

Arlong scoffed and lumbered to his feet. "You think a measly little human like you is any threat to me? Please. And why do I owe _you_ anything, hmm?" He sneered, baring his own teeth.

"I doubt Aria has been very forthcoming about what information she has. So she hasn't told you what I do." Farren smirked. "I'm a microbiologist, specifically dealing with pathogens. I was allowed to come independently research a plague that has broken out and test for cures." She motioned towards Chew. "While our mutual friend here came to request an audience, I snuck into your infirmary. There was an octopus fishman asleep, and I injected him with a nasty little bug."

"You did _what_?" Arlong seethed, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles popped.

"Your crewmate will die in 72 hours if you don't make reparations with me." Farren's canines glinted dangerously.


End file.
